CDT presents a monthly series of censored content that has been added to our “404 Deleted Content Archive.” Each month, we publish a summary of content blocked or deleted (often yielding the message “404: content not found”) from Chinese platforms such as WeChat, Weibo, Douyin (TikTok’s counterpart in the Chinese market), Xiaohongshu (RedNote), Bilibili, Zhihu, Douban, and others. Although this content archived by CDT Chinese editors represents only a small fraction of the online content that disappears each day from the Chinese internet, it provides valuable insight into which topics are considered “sensitive” over time by the Party-state, cyberspace authorities, and platform censors. Our fully searchable Chinese-language “404 Deleted Content Archive,” currently contains 2,344 deleted articles, essays, and other pieces of content. The entry for each deleted item includes the author/social media account name, the original publishing platform, the subject matter, the date of deletion, and more information.

Below is Part Two of CDT’s summary of deleted content from December 2025. (Part One includes 20 deleted articles; Part Two includes 21 deleted articles.) Between December 1-31, CDT Chinese added 41 new articles, mostly from WeChat, to the archive. Topics targeted for deletion in December included:

• Cancellations of performances by Japanese entertainers, including Maki Otsuki and Ayumi Hamasaki, amid the ongoing Sino-Japanese diplomatic spat over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments on defending Taiwan.
• Complaints about the rise of “the menstrual police” as pro-natalist local family planning officials adopt more intrusive methods, including calling local women to inquire about their menstrual cycles, childbirth plans, etc.
• Proposed legal reforms that would expunge misdemeanors, including minor drug offenses, from citizens’ records after they have served their punishment.
• High payments to laid-off workers by Canon and other foreign-owned companies in China have been dubbed “malicious compensation” because they make Chinese companies look bad in comparison.
• Rural residents face a steep rise in Rural Cooperative Medical Insurance premiums.
• A PR campaign by food-delivery platform Meituan that backfired for over-glorifying the lives of delivery riders and understating the rigors of their jobs.
• A scandal at the Nanjing Museum leads to an investigation into whether museum staff secretly sold off some of the museum’s works.
• “Ming Dynasty nostalgia” is a growing trend online.

(Note that the dates in the summary below refer to when an article was published on the CDT website, not when it was deleted from Chinese social-media platforms.)

21. “‘Meteor Garden’ Truly Is a Work of Ming Dynasty Nostalgia,” by Wang Xiaolei, WeChat account Liushen Leilei Reads Jin Yong
December 11, 2025

Online commentator, humorist, and former political reporter Wang Xiaolei satirizes the recent online trend toward “Ming Dynasty nostalgia” among Chinese nationalists by claiming that “Meteor Garden” (a popular 2001 Taiwanese “idol drama” based on the Japanese manga “Boys Over Flowers”) is a work steeped in Ming Dynasty symbolism and nostalgia. To bolster his tongue-in-cheek claims, Wang applies sham numerology and homophony to various character names, locations, and events to tease out the show’s “hidden references” to all things great and Ming. After publishing this piece, Wang’s account was suspended (see #26, below).

22. “‘Father of [China’s] COVID-19 Vaccine’ Falls From Grace, All His Awards Revoked,” by Zhang Yunsu, WeChat account Incorrect (不正确, bù zhèngquè)
December 13, 2025

This article from Zhang Yunsu explores the “underreported story” of Yang Xiaoming, the “father of China’s COVID-19 vaccine,” having all of his previous scientific awards revoked. Yang, former chief scientist at China National Biotec Group under Chinese state-owned Sinopharm, was dismissed in 2024 from his position as a National People’s Congress (NPC) delegate due to “suspected serious violations of discipline and law.” Zhang discusses three topics related to Yang’s downfall: recent corruption and malpractice cases that have eroded public trust in medical and scientific experts; rampant structural corruption that has undermined the reputation of China’s pharmaceutical industry; and the need to move beyond “witch hunts” and establish institutional safeguards and transparent mechanisms to prevent "the next Yang Xiaoming."

23. “Whether During the Qing or the Ming, Your Ancestors Would Have Been Too Lowly To Even Haul Shit,” by Mu Bai, from WeChat account Mu Bai’s Writing is Mediocre
December 13, 2025

Blogger Mu Bai mocks the recent wave of “dynastic nostalgia” among some online Chinese nationalists who identify with the emperors and generals of yore, and engage in heated arguments about whether the Ming or the Qing Dynasty was more badass. Mu Bai offers a “reality check” by reminding these wannabe political cos-players that they are likely descended from the downtrodden who, in any given dynasty, “would have been too lowly to even haul around the Emperor’s shit-bucket on a shoulder-pole.” As for why Ming and Qing nostalgia has become a trend, the author mentions factors such as nationalism, historical resentment, boredom, heavy online censorship, the desire to vent, and the popularity of escapist short historical and costume dramas. Mu Bai likens this form of historical escapism to “spiritual opium.”

24. “So It Turns Out ‘Marxist Scriptures’ Are the Secret to Success for 26-Year-Old ‘Youngest Doctoral Supervisor Ever,’” by Xiang Dongliang, WeChat account Constructive Opinions
December 14, 2025

Popular-science blogger and current events commentator Xiang Dongliang examines the career trajectory of Min Chao, a professor of Marxism who at 26 became the youngest doctoral supervisor in China’s history under Zhejiang University’s “One Hundred Talents Program.” Xiang digs into Min’s numerous awards, most of which seem to be ideological rather than academic in nature, as well as his publication record, which compares poorly to other outstanding academics who occupy less lofty positions. (For example, Xiang notes the lack of primary sources and reliance on translated sources in some of Min’s published papers.) At a top-tier institution such as Peking University, Xiang writes, doctoral supervisors under the age of 35 are rare, but Zhejiang University has an accelerated program that fast-tracks some academics in desirable fields such as Marxist Studies. The author concludes that, given the National Social Science Fund of China’s (NSSFC) massive expansion of funding for Marxist Studies in recent years—it is now NSSFC’s largest category in funding for the humanities and social sciences—young professors such as Min Chao have been able to turbocharge their careers by tailoring their academic work to the CCP’s favored ideological concerns.

25. “Is There No Way to Cure Canon of ‘Malicious Compensation?’” by Song Xi, WeChat Account Incorrect (不正确, bù zhèngquè)
December 15, 2025

This was December’s second archived article about Japanese manufacturer Canon’s unusually generous severance payments to workers laid off from its factory in Zhongshan, Guangdong province, due to a production shift to Southeast Asia. Some critics in China have argued that such magnanimous treatment of workers by Japanese and other foreign manufacturers is “foolish generosity” or “malicious compensation” because it makes Chinese firms look stingy in comparison. Author Song Xi highlights social-media platform Douyin’s decision to restrict a viral screenshot, posted by a man who had worked at the factory for 18 years, of his severance payment receipt showing a bank deposit of 630,000 yuan (over $91,000 U.S.) Douyin claimed that the post violated platform rules against "wealth flaunting," but Song challenges this logic by asking why wealthy Douyin users are allowed to post photos of expensive automobile emblems while hardworking factory employees can’t even share news of their rare good fortune. Douyin’s decision, writes Song, exposes the platform’s double standards and arbitrary content-review criteria.

26. “How Does Satirizing ‘Ming Dynasty Nostalgia’ Violate Platform Rules? There’s More To Liushen Leilei’s Account Suspension Than Meets the Eye,” by Xu Peng, WeChat account History Rhymes
December 15, 2025

Xu Peng confesses to being baffled by the recent suspension of blogger, humorist, and former political reporter Wang Xiaolei’s WeChat account “Liushen Leilei Reads Jin Yong.” That account was suspended by the platform after a user complaint regarding Wang’s article satirizing “Ming Dynasty nostalgia” (see #21, above), in which he mocks online nationalists for blindly romanticizing the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644 C.E.) After questioning the logic of Wang’s suspension, Xu Peng proceeds to compare the Ming Dynasty unfavorably with the earlier Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368 C.E.), arguing that the Yuan Dynasty was less centralized and thus less repressive, a boon for ordinary citizens of the time.

27. “Rural Cooperative Medical Insurance Annual Premium Rises to 400 Yuan: The Heartbreaking Truth Behind Why Some Farmers Stopped Making Payments,” by Xiong Zhi, WeChat Account Glacier Think Tank
December 15, 2025

A report about why so many farmers aren’t paying their mandatory annual health insurance premiums for the RCMS (Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme). Since the RCMS was launched as a pilot program in 2003, author Xiong Zhi writes, annual per-person premiums have soared from 10 yuan to 400 yuan (approximately $58 U.S.), a forty-fold increase that many rural residents can no longer afford. The author also cites increasing worries among rural residents about waste within the system, an unfair distribution of resources, and price-gouging by profit-driven hospitals.

28. “Is This Any Way to Resolve Such an Egregious Incident?” by 书荼门人 (shūtú ménrén), WeChat account 走读新生 (zǒudú xīnshēng)
December 16, 2025

This article questions whether the light sanctions meted out to village officials in Huixian County, Henan Province were sufficient punishment, given their egregious behavior: in order to avoid the village having to repay a debt of 781,000 yuan ($113,000 U.S.) to a local creditor, the officials forged documents to muddy the waters and make it difficult for the creditor to collect on the debt. Specifically, in those forged documents, they replaced the name of the current village party secretary with the name of an intellectually disabled man from the village. The author also mentions another incident in which officials received outrageously lenient punishment: the "dismissal or reassignment" of 16 local regulatory officials found to have engaged in rampant extortion and bribery. The prevalence of such slap-on-the-wrist punishments, writes the author, serves as no deterrent and only contributes to continued official malfeasance.

29. “Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, Take Note: Retired Deputy Governor Had 2.43 Million Yuan Worth of Brand-Name Liquor Stolen by His ‘Butler,’” by NetEase
December 19, 2025

A wild story about a butler named Li Peng who was sentenced to 10 and a half years in prison for stealing over 2.43 million yuan (approximately $340,000 U.S.) worth of Moutai and other luxury spirits from his employer Chen **Ming, a retired provincial deputy governor living in Qingdao, Shandong province. There were two further plot twists: first, when police tested the bottles of Moutai that they had recovered, 42 of 44 turned out to be fakes. Second, Mr. Chen later filed a police report claiming that media coverage of the case had defamed him and violated his privacy. The NetEase article calls for an official corruption probe to answer the question: how did a public servant on a government salary manage to acquire a liquor collection worth millions?

30. “The Changes Happening in China Are Written in the Public Fiscal Data,” by 边城蝴蝶梦 (Biānchéng húdié mèng, “Bordertown butterfly dream”), WeChat Account Port Youth
December 20, 2025

The author examines fiscal revenue data released by the Ministry of Finance on December 17, 2025 (this includes tax- and non-tax government revenue for the first 11 months of 2025) and concludes that all signs point to an overall economic slowdown. The author notes the low growth in VAT, consumption, and corporate tax revenue, as well as the enormous 17.4% drop in vehicle purchase tax revenue, a gauge of economic confidence among ordinary consumers. Regarding the 11.5% increase in personal income tax revenue, the author argues that it does not signal a commensurate increase in personal income during 2025, since incomes are certainly not growing at double-digit rates. Rather, it likely reflects more robust tax-collection efforts aimed at middle-class Chinese taxpayers, given that poorer citizens cannot afford to pay more taxes, and wealthier taxpayers tend to earn more from investments than from wages, are better at shielding their income sources from taxation, and are harder to collect from. Whereas rising incomes and housing prices may have insulated the middle-class in the past, the author writes, in coming years, they will be squeezed by a combination of stagnant wages, a weak property sector, and more aggressive income-tax collection efforts.

31. “Telecom Operators Do as Instructed, and Manage to Block 99% of Scam Calls!” WeChat account Hereditary Editorial Department (家传编辑部, Jiāchuán biānjíbù)
December 22, 2025

This article asks why it took so long for China’s three major telecom operators (China Telecom, China Mobile, and China Unicom) to begin seriously blocking robocalls from scammers. The author notes that it was only in December, after the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) threatened to bar the three telecoms from connecting to U.S. networks unless they met a December 22 deadline for cracking down on robocalls, that the telecom giants finally took action. If the telecoms were capable all along of blocking such calls, the author asks, why didn’t they act sooner? And why haven’t they made more efforts to protect mobile subscribers in China from telecom scammers? The author also mentions the disconnect between the recent U.S. indictment of Chinese-Cambodian cyber-fraud kingpin Chen Zhi (and the seizure of his $14 billion in Bitcoin) with the business-related awards he was given in China, and Chinese and Cambodian authorities’ years of overlooking his illegal activities. Toward the end of the article, the author asks, “Why is it always foreigners who have to step in and resolve these problems?”

32. “Japanese Routes Cancelled, But Flights to Cambodia Are Easy to Buy,” by Mu Qi, WeChat account Mu Qi Says
December 22, 2025

Blogger Mu Qi recounts a conversation with a friend about the strength of the Chinese yuan and whether there is still money to be made by buying luxury goods overseas and reselling them in China (代购, dàigòu). Mu Qi’s friend mentions the recent rash of Japan-bound flight cancellations amid Sino-Japanese diplomatic tensions, and Mu Qi, checking online, confirms that while there has certainly been a fall in Japan-bound flights on Chinese carriers, there are still plenty of tickets available for travel to Cambodia. Mu Qi sardonically notes that he is absolutely not advocating a resumption of flights to Japan, and cautions readers that if they do travel to Japan, they should exercise caution in posting about their travel on Chinese social media, lest they be criticized for being unpatriotic. On a more serious note, the author reminds readers that given the fighting along the Cambodia-Thailand border and some bombings of Cambodian telecom scam compounds, it might be better to avoid conflict zones and instead travel to countries that offer more legal transparency, more secure financial transactions, and better overall safety.

33. “Commentary on Ningbo’s ‘Little Luoxi Incident’: Patients Cannot Be Used as Lab Rats,” by Chengdu Sewers, WeChat account Open Data
December 22, 2025

A strongly worded commentary about a medical scandal in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, that drew nationwide attention. The piece details the death of a five-month-old infant known as “little Luoxi” on November 14, after a surgery to correct a congenital heart defect. Luoxi’s parents, who later arranged an independent autopsy and released the results online, have alleged that the surgeon failed to notify them of the risks and that the surgery was unnecessary, as this sort of heart defect commonly resolves on its own. (A separate case also involving unnecessary surgeries was highlighted in CDT’s roundup of notable quotes from 2025.) Noting the intense public anger over the case, this commentary urges a thorough investigation into the surgeon and the hospital for the sake of accountability and avoidance of future malpractice incidents. (An investigation resulted in 12 medical personnel at the hospital being disciplined; in February 2026, the hospital’s chief surgeon, surnamed Chen, lost his job and had his medical license revoked.)

34. “The Antiquities Swindle,” by Feng Haonan, WeChat account 兽楼处 (Shòu lóu chù, “Beast office”)
December 22, 2025

This long-form article is the first of four deleted pieces in December about a decades-long mismanagement and corruption scandal at the Nanjing Museum in Jiangsu province. The author discusses various antiquities swindles through the ages, and describes how at least five of the 137 artworks donated to the Nanjing Museum by the family of collector Pang Laichen were falsely identified as fakes, transferred to a state-owned provincial storehouse for cultural relics, and resold at auction for a profit. The Pang family discovered the subterfuge after one of the donated works—“Jiangnan Spring,” a silk-scroll painting by Ming Dynasty painter Qiu Ying, worth an estimated 88 million yuan ($12.5 million)—surfaced at a Beijing auction in May of 2025. The story broke in December 2025 and an investigation was launched; this month, in February, the investigation concluded that there had been systematic mismanagement and corruption at the Nanjing Museum, and 25 individuals involved now face legal or disciplinary action.

35. “Eight Dead as Vehicle Transporting Kindergarteners Plunges into Pond,” by Lü Yaxuan, from China Newsweek
December 24, 2025

A report from China Newsweek (not associated with the U.S. publication Newsweek) about a crash that killed seven kindergarten students and one adult when the van in which they were traveling plunged into a pond in a rural area of Pengzi county, Jiangxi province. The article includes interviews with parents, witnesses, educators, and legal experts. Some posited that the van may have been used, in violation of regulations requiring that schools use buses to transport students, as a cost-saving measure by the school.

36. “From the Cultural Revolution to the Nanjing Museum Incident: Power Running Roughshod Over the Rule of Law is a Perennial Problem,” by Su Yuanbao, WeChat account 沔溪杂谭 闲堂闲话 (Miǎnxī Zátán, Xiántáng Xiánhuà)
December 24, 2025

Su Yuanbao contrasts the recent scandal about the illegal transfer and sale of paintings from the Nanjing Museum with the looting of books and artworks by Red Guards and cadres such as Kang Sheng during the Cultural Revolution. Although that Cultural Revolution-era period of lawlessness now lies in the past, writes the author, the protection of cultural relics and property ultimately depends on the rule of law and constraints on abuse of power. Comprehensive legal provisions and oversight of power are essential to protecting China’s valuable cultural relics.

37. “2025 Report on ‘Friend Circle Estrangement,’” WeChat account Plan C (C计划, C jìhuà)
December 25, 2025

This long article discusses ten controversial stories from the past year, and ranks each (on a scale of one to five stars) for its potential to sow estrangement among one’s family and friends’ circle on WeChat. According to the author, the most divisive topics, indicated by a five-star rating, were the Wuhan University library sexual harassment incident, which some claimed was a witch hunt and others claimed was justified; and the expulsion of a young woman from Dalian Polytechnic University for her consensual relationship with a visiting Ukranian e-sports player, which touched off debates about misogyny, double standards, and “sexual nationalism.”

38. “Nanjing Museum’s Missing Paintings Are Clearly an Egregious Case of State-Asset Embezzlement,” WeChat account Glacier Think Account (冰川思享号, Biāngchuān sī xiǎng hào)
December 25, 2025

This article, from a blog associated with WeChat account Glacier Think Tank, discusses an investigation by The Paper into the Nanjing Museum’s “missing paintings” scandal. The author argues that Nanjing Museum practiced deception at every step of the way: intentionally misclassifying some of the donated paintings as fakes, shifting and selling them at auction, misleading the family that donated the works, and lying to the public about what was essentially a heist of Chinese cultural artifacts, an inside job driven by greed and corruption.

39. “In the Name of National Treasures,” by Li Yuchen, WeChat Account Li Yuchen
December 26, 2025

Legal blogger Li Yuchen’s long article about the Nanjing Museum scandal discusses the sordid details of how museum administrators and staff stole and resold works of art that were donated to the museum. Contrasting the selflessness of families that donate their art collections to China’s museums with the craven corruption of some museum administrators, the author expresses concern about whether it is possible to sufficiently protect China’s cultural artifacts.

40. “The U.S. ‘Kill-Line’ is Actually Our Nationalist Grifters’ ‘Idiocy Line,’” by Li Yuchen, WeChat account Li Yuchen
December 29, 2025

A long and meandering article from Li Yuchen mocking nationalist influencers who hawk the notion of the U.S. “kill line” and claim that the U.S. is on the verge of collapse. Li characterizes these influencers as grifters who insult the intelligence of their audience—an audience that is well aware that China suffers from many of the same “kill line” problems: job losses, poverty, economic insecurity, bankruptcy due to medical expenses, etc.

41. “Asia Weekly Exposé Reveals Xu Ying Lied About Her Qualifications for 11 Years and Falsified Records of Republican-Era Artworks,” by NetEase
December 30, 2025

Another article about the corruption and theft scandal at the Nanjing Museum, this one focused on how Xu Ying, a "renowned scholar" of Chinese art from the Republican period (1912-1949 C.E.), managed to have fabricated her entire academic background and forged historical documents for over a decade. The author concludes that it is imperative to “plug the loopholes” in the system and clean up the corruption that allows such fraud to go unnoticed in art, cultural, and academic circles.