Heart China
Encyclopedia
Heart China refers to an internet phenomenon in the People's Republic of China
which arose following protests in London
and Paris
during the 2008 Olympic Torch Relay and prolonged calls for Tibetan independence in Western countries. After the protests, a large number of internet users added "(L) CHINA" or "♥ CHINA" to their usernames on instant messaging clients such as MSN Messenger.
. The Heart China phenomenon was believed to have started from small numbers who posted material on the Internet
, and since China has a strong Internet vigilantism
culture, more people eventually followed suit.
of Tibet
in China is that Tibet was a part of the Yuan Dynasty
, and of later successor states
up until the Republic of China
, which is contested by advocates of Tibetan Independence. Thus, the People's Liberation Army
advance into Tibet during the 1950s is seen as a reclamation rather than an invasion. Pro-independence activists argue otherwise, and claim that the advance into Tibet claimed many lives.
Following the 2008 Tibetan unrest
, Chinese websites posted information, accusing Western media of producing a bias
ed view of Tibet. According to Anti-CNN
, news channels such as CNN
and BBC
only reported selectively, and provide a one-sided argument regarding the 2008 Tibetan unrest
. Such sites, forums and blogs provided what they saw as photographic and statistical evidence (under the claims that condition of life
in Tibet have improved dramatically since 1959), along with nationalistic and Anti-foreign sentiment. One such website, Anti-CNN.com
, was hacked numerous times.
staged counter-protests in Toronto and other cities, formed through "smart mob
" tactics such as IM
and SMS
. In April 2008, after the 2008 Olympic torch relay was disrupted by Tibetan independence advocates in London and especially Paris, where some protesters attempted to wrest control of the torch from torch bearers, Chinese activists have promoted boycotting the Carrefour
supermarket chain because of its French roots. Huge crowds gathered throughout China outide of Carrefour stores, preventing customers from entering the stores.
On the Internet, statistics show that more than one million MSN Messenger users added "(L)China" to the beginning of their display name prior to the torch relay incident in Paris.
and Carrefour
. Websites and forums gave tutorials on how to launch a DDoS attack specifically on the CNN website. One website, http://bbscar.com.cn/cnn sent a ping to www.cnn.com every millisecond when opened in IE6.0
, and claimed that if all 1.3 billion Chinese had visited the site at the same time, the CNN servers would crash. The website was taken down in August 2008.
s. The most common design is a red heart, with the five yellow stars of the Chinese flag. Throughout footage of the 2008 Olympic Torch Relay, the icon is seen commonly on the T-shirts and banners of the Chinese students.
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
which arose following protests in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
during the 2008 Olympic Torch Relay and prolonged calls for Tibetan independence in Western countries. After the protests, a large number of internet users added "(L) CHINA" or "♥ CHINA" to their usernames on instant messaging clients such as MSN Messenger.
Origins
After the incidents which occurred in Paris, news quickly spread within China regarding the unrest. Upon hearing the news, many were outraged, with many posting in blogs and forums a call to counter what appeared to be a "Western attack" on China's sovereigntySovereignty
Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...
. The Heart China phenomenon was believed to have started from small numbers who posted material on the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
, and since China has a strong Internet vigilantism
Internet vigilantism
Internet vigilantism is the phenomenon of vigilantic acts taken through the Internet or carried out using applications that depend on the Internet...
culture, more people eventually followed suit.
Beliefs
Typically, the accepted explanation regarding the statusTibetan sovereignty debate
The Tibetan sovereignty debate refers to two political debates. The first is whether the various territories within the People's Republic of China that are claimed as political Tibet should separate and become a new sovereign state...
of Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
in China is that Tibet was a part of the Yuan Dynasty
Yuan Dynasty
The Yuan Dynasty , or Great Yuan Empire was a ruling dynasty founded by the Mongol leader Kublai Khan, who ruled most of present-day China, all of modern Mongolia and its surrounding areas, lasting officially from 1271 to 1368. It is considered both as a division of the Mongol Empire and as an...
, and of later successor states
Succession of states
Succession of states is a theory and practice in international relations regarding the recognition and acceptance of a newly created sovereign state by other states, based on a perceived historical relationship the new state has with a prior state...
up until the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
, which is contested by advocates of Tibetan Independence. Thus, the People's Liberation Army
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
advance into Tibet during the 1950s is seen as a reclamation rather than an invasion. Pro-independence activists argue otherwise, and claim that the advance into Tibet claimed many lives.
Following the 2008 Tibetan unrest
2008 Tibetan unrest
The 2008 Tibetan unrest, also known from its Chinese name as the 3•14 Riots, was a series of riots, protests, and demonstrations that started in Tibetan regional capital of Lhasa and spread to other Tibetan areas and a number of monasteries including outside the Tibet Autonomous Region...
, Chinese websites posted information, accusing Western media of producing a bias
Bias
Bias is an inclination to present or hold a partial perspective at the expense of alternatives. Bias can come in many forms.-In judgement and decision making:...
ed view of Tibet. According to Anti-CNN
Anti-cnn
Anti-cnn.com is a website established by Rao Jin, who was a 23-year-old Chinese student at the time, in response to what he identified as "the lies and distortions of facts from the Western media" concerning the 2008 Tibetan unrest and the People's Republic of China's national unity. The anti-cnn...
, news channels such as CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
and BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
only reported selectively, and provide a one-sided argument regarding the 2008 Tibetan unrest
2008 Tibetan unrest
The 2008 Tibetan unrest, also known from its Chinese name as the 3•14 Riots, was a series of riots, protests, and demonstrations that started in Tibetan regional capital of Lhasa and spread to other Tibetan areas and a number of monasteries including outside the Tibet Autonomous Region...
. Such sites, forums and blogs provided what they saw as photographic and statistical evidence (under the claims that condition of life
Habitability
Habitability is the conformance of a residence or abode to the implied warranty of habitability. A residence that complies is said to be "habitable". It is an implied warranty or contract, meaning it does not have to be an express contract, covenant, or provision of a contract...
in Tibet have improved dramatically since 1959), along with nationalistic and Anti-foreign sentiment. One such website, Anti-CNN.com
Anti-cnn
Anti-cnn.com is a website established by Rao Jin, who was a 23-year-old Chinese student at the time, in response to what he identified as "the lies and distortions of facts from the Western media" concerning the 2008 Tibetan unrest and the People's Republic of China's national unity. The anti-cnn...
, was hacked numerous times.
Counter protests
After numerous Pro-Tibetan protests in the United States, Great Britain and France, Chinese diasporaOverseas Chinese
Overseas Chinese are people of Chinese birth or descent who live outside the Greater China Area . People of partial Chinese ancestry living outside the Greater China Area may also consider themselves Overseas Chinese....
staged counter-protests in Toronto and other cities, formed through "smart mob
Smart mob
A smart mob is a group that, contrary to the usual connotations of a mob, behaves intelligently or efficiently because of its exponentially increasing network links. This network enables people to connect to information and others, allowing a form of social coordination. Parallels are made to,...
" tactics such as IM
Instant messaging
Instant Messaging is a form of real-time direct text-based chatting communication in push mode between two or more people using personal computers or other devices, along with shared clients. The user's text is conveyed over a network, such as the Internet...
and SMS
SMS
SMS is a form of text messaging communication on phones and mobile phones. The terms SMS or sms may also refer to:- Computer hardware :...
. In April 2008, after the 2008 Olympic torch relay was disrupted by Tibetan independence advocates in London and especially Paris, where some protesters attempted to wrest control of the torch from torch bearers, Chinese activists have promoted boycotting the Carrefour
Carrefour
Carrefour S.A. is an international hypermarket chain headquartered in Levallois-Perret, France. It is one of the largest hypermarket chains in the world...
supermarket chain because of its French roots. Huge crowds gathered throughout China outide of Carrefour stores, preventing customers from entering the stores.
On the Internet, statistics show that more than one million MSN Messenger users added "(L)China" to the beginning of their display name prior to the torch relay incident in Paris.
Hacker response
Chinese hackers claim to have hacked the websites of CNNCNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
and Carrefour
Carrefour
Carrefour S.A. is an international hypermarket chain headquartered in Levallois-Perret, France. It is one of the largest hypermarket chains in the world...
. Websites and forums gave tutorials on how to launch a DDoS attack specifically on the CNN website. One website, http://bbscar.com.cn/cnn sent a ping to www.cnn.com every millisecond when opened in IE6.0
Internet Explorer
Windows Internet Explorer is a series of graphical web browsers developed by Microsoft and included as part of the Microsoft Windows line of operating systems, starting in 1995. It was first released as part of the add-on package Plus! for Windows 95 that year...
, and claimed that if all 1.3 billion Chinese had visited the site at the same time, the CNN servers would crash. The website was taken down in August 2008.
Icon
The Heart China logo, ♥中国, is printed on T-shirts and stickers, and is commonly seen throughout Chinese websites and Internet forumInternet forum
An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. They differ from chat rooms in that messages are at least temporarily archived...
s. The most common design is a red heart, with the five yellow stars of the Chinese flag. Throughout footage of the 2008 Olympic Torch Relay, the icon is seen commonly on the T-shirts and banners of the Chinese students.