Nationalistic Chinese bloggers warned over costs of shouting down scientists

Chinese bloggers riding on strong national confidence in science and technology prowess are launching “unscrupulous hype and personal attacks” to shut down differing opinions online, state-affiliated media has warned.

Several Chinese scientists were recently labelled pro-American after they said there was a US-China gap in basic research or commented negatively on the tech ecosystem, as many internet influencers sought to whip up nationalistic sentiment to boost traffic.

But eliminating viewpoints comes with risks, a state-affiliated media outlet has warned.

“While China has made remarkable achievements in science and technology in recent years, it would only impede its further advance by being overconfident and turning a blind eye to the problems,” online outlet The Paper, run by the state-owned Shanghai United Media Group, wrote in an editorial last week.

“The fandom culture is worryingly penetrating into the discussions of science topics, which could cost the reputation of scientists and the future of China’s technology sector,” the article warned.

Among victims of the online trend is He Zuoxiu, a 97-year-old physicist with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). In several video clips circulating online, He and Qing Chengrui, his wife and CAS colleague, said China lagged a long way behind the US, Germany and other Western countries in the quality of basic research, noting that most advanced medical equipment in Chinese hospitals was imported.