Chinese citizens have found a cunning way to get around the country's extensive censorship of social media - using anti-US hashtags with an accompanying message roasting the Chinese Government.
Anger is rising in the country over the ruling Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) handling of the COVID-19 outbreak in Shanghai, which has seen people locked in their homes with no food, pets killed in the streets and parents separated from their children.
Usually, anti-Government social media posts are swiftly taken down by state censors. But, as noticed by Voice of America journalist Ma Wenhao, many found a clever way to get around this.
Ma explained angry Weibo-users used two state-approved hashtags to get around the rules, which translate to "Shanghai handled several pandemic-related rumours" and "The US is the largest country of human rights deficit".
But the topics of their posts had nothing to do with the hashtags, and for a few hours, Chinese were able to unleash their wrath on the government over the COVID crisis in Shanghai and other issues.
"We've seen this kind of efforts throughout the Russian invasion of Ukraine, where China would direct criticism at the West and whitewash Russia," Ma tweeted
"But the interesting thing is that, this time, their efforts backfired, big time."
Ma posted a number of screenshots showing examples.
"Most of these criticisms came in the form of satire. One raised the examples of the 996 work environment, high housing price, high interest, low income and said 'the human rights China has the most human rights. lol,'" he wrote.
Other blasted state media for its obsession with the US at a time when China is struggling with its own crisis.
"China is the most human rights deprived and authoritarian country in the world," they wrote, using an anti-US hashtag
Many expressed their surprise at what they were seeing on Weibo.
"The square (public search results under certain hashtags on Weibo) is wonderful. Looks like everyone has been slapped awaken by daddy (referring to the Chinese government)."
Ma said many were moved by the unity they were seeing on Weibo.
"So many posts to like. This is the true voice of the people. Let's commemorate tonight...Maybe tomorrow it's gonna be songs and dances again, but at least we know that we are awake."
The flood of criticism managed to stay online a lot longer than usual.
"It's 8 am in China now. Surprisingly, the "Shanghai rumor" hashtag is still no.1 on Weibo and open to the pubic, where people are still posting criticism of the government, though they are not as intense and aggressive as what were posted during the night," Ma wrote.
"So for about four to five hours, there was almost nothing but angry comments targeting the Chinese government under this hashtag, which was initially promoted by state media with the intention to accuse the US."
