The East is pink
As online mobs get rowdier, they also get a label
TRY AS the Communist Party might to sanitise the internet, its people keep coming up with new ways to discuss politics. They have developed colourful slang to express sarcasm, dodge censors and attack their opponents. Their latest invention sounds cute: “little pink”, or xiao fenhong. Its meaning, at least as initially intended, is not so sweet. It is a disparaging term for young nationalists who use the internet as a battleground for patriotism, often focusing on pop culture to whip up support.
This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline “The East is pink”
China August 13th 2016
From the August 13th 2016 edition
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