Microblog Insights

Topic1: As micro blogs, especially Sina Weibo, play a more and more important role in public discussion on the Internet, many people are worried that they might get shut down. However, the authorities seem likely to accept them, albeit cautiously, according to the official micro blog of the Wall Street Journal's Chinese version.

Xincunganxie: Too much complaining about the government on Weibo.

Hudawei: Currently, even government officials write micro blogs, and it is regarded as falling behind the times not to use them.

Supermaopaoleo: It would be a historical regression to shut down the micro blogs, and I believe that wise government and leaders won't do that. It will only cause citizens' complaints to increase if micro blogs are shut.

Renshengzhenjiong: If the government shuts down micro blogs, this shows its lack of confidence. On the contrary, if the government chooses to deal with public opinions on micro blogs in a rational and correct way, this demonstrates the government's big progress in self-improvement.

Topic 2: The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China's top economic planner, recently officially denied the existence of price caps on edible oils through China National Radio. Rumor has it that there have been price caps on edible oil for almost one year. The NDRC responded to price hikes for bottled edible oil by several edible-oil producing companies. "Edible oil is a commodity the price of which is set by the companies themselves and regulated by the market. There are no price caps on it, nor is there approval for the application of price hikes for edible oil," the NDRC was quoted as saying by Caing.com, a domestic financial and economic website.

Xingmingally: If this is a rumor, why did the National Development and Reform Commission choose to deny it after it has been circulating for one year? This is so fake.

Terryxiaoxin: Believe it or not, but I do believe it.

Little girl's dream: Edible oil is indispensable to people's daily lives. If its price is regulated just by the market, consumers will suffer because of the limitation of market regulation.

All the information is from Sina Weibo.

(China Daily 08/09/2011 page14)