Li Chengpeng

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Li Chengpeng (Chinese: 李承鹏; Pinyin: Lǐ Chéngpéng) (born September 22, 1968) is an important writer and social critic in the People's Republic of China . Known in China for its reporting and social commentary, Li's Sina-Weibo blog had nearly seven million followers but is now offline. Li made international headlines in 2011 when he announced that he would run for political office as an independent candidate in his hometown of Chengdu , Sichuan Province . Although not illegal, the decision represented a rare and bold move in a country where candidates for political office are typically appointed by the Chinese Communist Party .

Career

Li, nicknamed "Li Da Yan" (Li with big eyes), made in 1990 at the Normal University in Sichuan his bachelor in Chinese and literature. He then began his career as a journalist . In 2005, Li was a co-author of the book Chinese Soccer: The Inside Story , which documented the widespread match-fixing that involved coaches, players, referees and officials. The book describes how almost every professional Chinese soccer player is subjected to varying degrees of pressure and coercion from game syndicates to manipulate games. Li told the diplomat in 2009 that his reporting on the problem had consistently generated anonymous threats against him and his family. For example, he received test notifications telling him “to take better care of his family”. Once he was so scared of the police that he would move to a different hotel room every night for a few weeks, borrowing ID cards from friends.

His reputation grew following the 2008 Sichuan earthquake . After witnessing the tremors at his home in Chengdu, Li decided to help rescue the hardest hit areas. He traveled to the earthquake area in Sichuan as a volunteer and then wrote the article, "The True Story of the Miraculous Survival of Students and Teachers at Longhan Elementary School in Beichuan." In this article, Li criticized the local officials and construction companies for using poor quality building materials, which later led to a major scandal in China. As his popularity grew, it became increasingly difficult for Li to get a long-term job. Eventually, he stopped journalism and returned to Chengdu. Li told the diplomat that it was easier to publish the truth than fiction.

In 2011, Li published the novel Li Kele Protests Demolitions , which took a critical look at forced demolitions in China.

That same year, Li announced that he would run as an independent candidate for the National People's Congress of Wuhou District , Chengdu. However, although the Chinese constitution protects the right of all citizens to vote and stand for local elections from the age of 18, these positions are usually filled by candidates selected by the Communist Party. However, these elected officials have little leverage to influence political decisions. Individuals attempting to stand out as independent or self-nominated candidates are sometimes faced with unpleasant consequences. For example, Li's self- nomination was followed by a statement on Xinhua News that there was no such thing as an "independent candidate" because it was not recognized by law. Notwithstanding this publication, a number of prominent cultural figures, writers, and academics support Li's candidacy, including blogger Han Han , film director Feng Xiaogang, and legal scholars Yu Jianrong and He Weifang .

On July 9, 2014, the New York Times reported that Li's Sina-Weibo blog, which had 7.4 million followers, had disappeared. During a phone call with Li in Chengdu, Li said that he did not know exactly why the blog was blocked, but that this type of "silencing" involved a number of problems.

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Li Chengpeng's Sina Weibo Page , accessed November 9, 2016
  2. ^ A b Amy Qin, Li Chengpeng's Social Media and Blog Accounts Suspended , New York Times, accessed November 16, 2016
  3. ↑ a b c d e David Cohen and Peter Martin, Who is Li Chengpeng? , The Diplomat, June 9, 2011, accessed November 9, 2016
  4. ↑ Li Chengping , Harvard Kennedy School, accessed on November 16, 2016
  5. ↑ Wang Xiang, Football graft probe needs to net syndicate gamblers , Shanghai Daily, February 9, 2010, accessed November 9, 2016
  6. ^ Li Chengpeng, Patriotism with Chinese Characteristics , The New York Times, May 25, 2012, accessed November 9, 2016
  7. ↑ a b David Cohen and Peter Martin, After Ai Weiwei's arrest, a hard hitting Chinese author remains undeterred , The Christian Science Monitor, April 6, 2011, accessed November 9, 2016
  8. ^ Russell Leigh Moses, Will Independent Candidates Light a Fire Under Beijing , The Wall Street Journal, June 3, 2011, accessed November 9, 2016
  9. ↑ Li Chengpeng: We Are All Shareholders of Our Country , China Digital Times, June 16, 2011, accessed November 9, 2016
personal data
SURNAME Chengpeng, Li
BRIEF DESCRIPTION important writer and social critic in the People's Republic of China
DATE OF BIRTH 22nd September 1968