They weren't amused: a nine-year-old Chinese boy wrote that the Chinese president needed to lose a little weight, and the letter, which went viral, was quickly censored by the authorities.
The boy, New Zero, about 9 years old, was asked, along with his classmates, to propose an idea that would constitute the next 'Chinese mission.' Zero, who only a few days earlier had seen a photo of President Xi Jinping meeting with Russian President Putin, did not hesitate to compare the years and suggest that Jinping should aspire to reach Putin's handsome dimensions.
In addition, the boy added a proposal for another mission, "for China to reach Mars." The boy's letter was leaked to the Internet by his father, and within a few days it had received a huge circulation. However, the authorities did not like the boy's jab at the beefy president, and quickly removed the news from every website in the country.
The boy's teacher, Elaine Wang, at the international school told Sky News that "at our school, students are welcome to speak. Even if there are crazy ideas like these, they are allowed to bring them up.".
Zero's innocent letter made his anonymous family famous. His father asked the media to leave them alone and respect their privacy.
China has a number of restrictions on freedom of expression, both online and in print and electronic media. Articles critical of the government are banned from publication, and journalists are prohibited from setting up a private website with critical content without permission from their employer. The general media in China is subject to strict government censorship, and approval from the government and other regulators is required for all media outlets.
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