As Deadly Flood Ravages Chinese City, Beijing’s Censors Go Into Overdrive Suppressing ‘Negative Energy’ Content

As Deadly Flood Ravages Chinese City, Beijing’s Censors Go Into Overdrive Suppressing ‘Negative Energy’ Content
An aerial view shows cars sitting in floodwaters at the entrance of a tunnel after heavy rains hit the city of Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province on July 22, 2021. NOEL CELIS/AFP via Getty Images
Nicole Hao
Updated:

Heavy rains are flooding cities in central China, leading to rising casualties and widespread destruction of property. Information about the disaster is increasingly difficult to come by, as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) ramps up censorship of any content that it deems contains “negative energy.”

By July 22, the Chinese regime announced that 33 people have died from the flooding, with eight missing. But videos recorded by locals suggest much a higher figure. Chinese netizens, meanwhile, have taken to social media demanding the regime reveal the true death toll.

Nicole Hao
Nicole Hao
Author
Nicole Hao is a Washington-based reporter focused on China-related topics. Before joining the Epoch Media Group in July 2009, she worked as a global product manager for a railway business in Paris, France.
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