Anti-War Post Goes Viral on Chinese Social Media Amid CCP’s Increased Aggression Toward Taiwan

Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers taking part in military training at Pamir Mountains in Kashgar, northwestern China's Xinjiang region, on Jan. 4, 2021. /AFP via Getty Images

The Chinese communist regime’s threats to annex Taiwan by force has escalated this year, accompanied by its more frequent military incursions into Taiwan’s water and air territories. Meanwhile, an anti-war post denouncing the regime’s war efforts has gone viral on Chinese social media platforms, resonating with countless Chinese citizens.

The post reads: “If the war breaks out, I will not go, and I will not let my children go. I am a person who lives at the bottom of society. No one remembers us in times of peace. Only in times of difficulty do they just begin to think of us. They say that when the country is in trouble, everyone needs to fulfill their duty. But they are not giving us the same treatment when they receive benefits or enjoy national privileges. Whoever wants to go to the war, go ahead. Anyway, I will not go, and I will not let my children go.”

Chinese People's Liberation Army cadets conduct bayonet drills at the PLA's Armoured Forces Engineering Academy in Beijing on July 22, 2014. Greg Baker/AFP/Getty Images

The anti-war post has been reposted on various online platforms in mainland China, and many netizens shared similar views in their online comments.

One asked in a post: “The children and wives of high rank officials have all moved to the United States. Why should we, the common people, have to risk our lives [to go to war for them]?”

Another said in a post, “Give me a weapon and see who I will fire at. I will definitely target those who force me to go to the battlefield. I have no grudges against anyone else.”

A netizen named “Le Si” posted on the Quora-like platform Zhihu, “Those who have received more benefits from the country should be more active to join in the war.”

Customers dine near a giant screen broadcasting news footage of aircraft under the Eastern Theatre Command of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) taking part in a combat readiness patrol and "Joint Sword" exercises around Taiwan, at a restaurant in Beijing, China, on April 10, 2023. Tingshu Wang/Reuters

Some netizens also suggested that corrupt officials should be sent to the war, “Let urban management and agricultural management personnels go first!”

In another post on Zhihu, a netizen named “Thinking Slowly about the World” shared his views on the reasons why “unwilling to fight for the country” has resonated with so many Chinese people.

“First, the abuse of power and mistreatment of people by agricultural management, urban management, and even traffic police have caused significant negative impact, especially the agricultural management personnels who offended at least 60 percent of the public.”

The second reason is the huge disparity between the rich and poor in Chinese society, the netizen wrote, “such as the COVID-19 PCR testing product companies using the pandemic to make tens of billions of dollars.”

The third reason is the communist officials’ mass corruption, the post said. “They use their power to benefit their cronies, which is disgusting. That’s why some netizens asked, ‘Who are we going to defend? To defend ‘young master’ Zhou or to defend the ‘arctic catfish’ with nine-figure savings?’”

Zhou refers to Zhou Jie, the son of a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) official in Jiangxi Province who once flaunted his wealth on social media, saying that the tea he drank cost 200,000 yuan a catty (about $22,000/lb).

The “arctic catfish” is the name used by Chinese on social media for the granddaughter of a retired Shenzhen city official who is now studying in Australia. She bragged on social media that her family have nine-figure savings, all of which are provided by the common Chinese people, which triggered public anger.

Continuous Sentiment

This is not the first time that the Chinese public has expressed anti-war sentiment towards the CCP’s war mobilization efforts and war propaganda.

In February, mainland Chinese media published an article online, which read: “If the motherland has the need, will you go to the front line?“ The report claimed that 94 percent interviewees were ”willing to come forward.”

However, posts in the comment section of the article showed overwhelmingly the opposite response. Chinese netizens posted one after another: “Let the officials go first.”

“If I get conscripted, then I will rebel since I’ll have a gun in my hand.”

Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers assembling during military training at Pamir Mountains in Kashgar, northwestern China's Xinjiang region, on Jan. 4, 2021. STR/AFP via Getty Images

The CCP has taken a series of actions to prepare for war, most likely to invade Taiwan and repel the United States and Japan who would come to Taiwan’s aid.

The CCP has implemented new military Reserve Personnel Law on March 1, which raised the upper age limit for various ranks in China’s reserve forces, from soldiers to officers, up to 60 year-old.

The Chinese regime also passed a resolution on Feb. 24 to adjust the application of some provisions of Criminal Procedure Law for the military during wartime, which took effect on Feb. 25. The new adjustments took aim at “crimes of a military nature” that might pose a threat to the CCP, such as “defection and desertion” in the military during wartime.

The resolution also outlined a legal basis for the CCP to declare martial law if needed for domestic control.

China affairs commentator Li Dayu said of the anti-war post during his NTD News talk show on April 29: “If what the regime does really represents the will of the people, and its rule is really recognized by the people, people will not talk about it like this,” he said of the CCP.

“Starting an unrighteous war, what they will get is people’s indifference, and people will even help the other side.”

Li Yun contributed to this report.