Nationalistic blogger Sima Nan banned from Chinese social media

Platforms including Weibo, WeChat and Douyin suddenly block the commentator from updating, though old posts remain untouched

Pundit nicknamed the ‘anti-US fighter’ frequently accuses intellectuals, entrepreneurs and even government departments of betraying China’s national interests

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Banned blogger Sima Nan has 44 million followers on Chinese social media platforms. Photo: AFP

Published: 8:38pm, 23 Aug 2022Updated: 9:19pm, 23 Aug 2022

Sima Nan, a Chinese blogger who shot to fame on the back of rising nationalism by writing inflammatory articles about the United States, was suddenly banned from his social media accounts for unknown reasons.

He has been blocked from posting on Weibo, WeChat, Bilibili and Douyin “for violation of relevant laws and regulations”, according to notices posted on the platforms, but his previous posts remained untouched. He last updated his accounts on Saturday.

No further details were released, and the immediate cause of what appears to be a collective effort by Chinese social media to censor his accounts is not clear. It is not known when or if he will be able to resume posting on the platforms.

Sima Nan did not respond to the Post’s requests for comment on Tuesday.

The television pundit, commentator and vlogger – whose real name is Yu Li – has 44 million followers across all platforms and has earned a reputation for his nationalistic, anti-West stance. He frequently accuses intellectuals, entrepreneurs and even some Chinese government departments of betraying China’s national interests and colluding with the United States, which has earned him the nickname “the anti-US fighter”.

Last year, his fan base grew by millions after he accused Lenovo of allegedly selling state assets for less than they were worth and paying top executives unreasonably high salaries despite the company’s mediocre performance.

Lenovo’s parent company has defended the sale of an equity stake in the company made by China’s top science academy in 2009, saying it was legal and in line with regulations.

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Nationalistic blogger Sima Nan banned from Chinese social media

Platforms including Weibo, WeChat and Douyin suddenly block the commentator from updating, though old posts remain untouched Pundit nicknamed the ‘anti-US fighter’ frequently accuses intellectuals, entrepreneurs and even government departments of betraying China’s national interests

Platforms including Weibo, WeChat and Douyin suddenly block the commentator from updating, though old posts remain untouched

Pundit nicknamed the ‘anti-US fighter’ frequently accuses intellectuals, entrepreneurs and even government departments of betraying China’s national interests