While this sentiment runs throughout China, the media isn’t shy about leading popular opinion. Chinese state-run newspaper the People’s Daily does not want the Paris terror attacks to overshadow a deadly landslide that coincidentally happened at the same time, and it does so by urging its readers to choose one over the other.

Twenty-five people died when a landslide struck the village of Lidong near the city of Lishui, Zhejiang at 10:50 on Friday night. Only one person has been rescued from the landslide so far, while another 12 victims remain unaccounted for. Twenty-seven Lidong homes below an adjacent mountain were buried, with another 21 flooded.

Landslides are a common occurrence in China that have derailed trains, blocked train tracks, capsized boats in the Yangtze River, and have caused numerous fatalities during south China’s annual rainy season. It’s a problem that keeps happening in China, but with the Paris terror attacks attracting world-wide attention on Friday night, the Lishui incident is at risk of being ignored in the daily news cycle.

That’s where the People’s Daily intervened by sharing a Weibo micro-blogging post at around 8pm on Saturday. The post compares the two tragic incidents:

People’s Daily Weibo Opinion: Cry for Paris, but don’t forget to cry for Lishui as well.
The Paris terror attack has shocked the world. Terrorists are the enemy of the entire word which is united in its humanity to defeat it. Cry for Paris, but don’t forget to cry for Lishui as well. A landslide occurred in Lidong village, Yaxi County, Liandu District, Lishui, Zhejiang. The latest news reports there are nine dead from the disaster, with another 28 victims unaccounted for. Every life that is taken away in a disaster is valuable; please direct your concerns and prayers towards Lishui.

Even though many Chinese have shown sympathy towards the people of France, many of the top-voted responses said deaths from the Paris terror attacks are simply not as important as those from the Lishui landslide, two incidents that were otherwise separate and unrelated before the People’s Daily Online made the connection.

Here are what some Chinese people had to say in response to the People’s Daily Online Weibo post:

(highest rated comment)
洛水柳畔：
I don’t cry for Paris, I pray for that whore the Virgin Mary to curse them. I only pray for Lishui. 

Fally章：
Pray for your own compatriots! France supports Tibet independence!

春晖大地：
Some people these days only know how to concern themselves with the outside world. They think that everything outside the border is great. If you think that it’s so great in other countries, then you should immigrate! If you’re going to be spouting off your opinions, then you should show some concern about your own country. China is not worse than other countries!

O福星高照O：
Cry for Paris? From where do I have such emotion? I am only sympathizing with them! I only cry for the tragic deaths of my compatriots!

king1however：
The perspective of the masses is directed by the media. Don’t forget this, because the people won’t forget this. 

应西堤：
Even more importantly, don’t forget about Tianjin.

努力使自己微笑：
The running dogs of capitalism have gone to lick France.

Even though Chinese President Xi Jiping has made an official statement saying that China is devoted to fighting terrorism, and the Oriental Pearl Tower lit up its exterior in the colors of the French flag, the feeling that the Paris terror attacks were stealing attention away from China’s own domestic tragedy have been spreading online.

In a CCTV report about the Lishui landslide that made no mention whatsoever about the Paris terror attacks, netizens used the opportunity to compare the two incidents in much the way that the People’s Daily Online had done:

鉴翔师：
I ask the municipal government of Shanghai to shine their lights for the victims of the Lishui landslide. I also ask the network of the addicted running lap dogs of the Virgin Mary to shout aloud ‘May heaven protect Zhejiang’. I also ask that the traitors belonging to the media outlet Caijing as well as others to pray for the victims of Lishui.

Lr19970808：
Hey, Oriental Pearl Tower, why do you pray for foreign countries, but not for China?

神的奥斯坦丁：
My compatriots (who died in the Lishui landslide), even though you didn’t die in a terror attack, you are still Chinese people. The Oriental Pearl Tower won’t shine its lights for you. When I return home I will light a candle for you… 

Then there’s this comment:

Don’t the lives of Chinese people matter?
On November 13, Paris suffered an unprecedented terror attack that led to the deaths of some 140 people. On television, French President Francois Hollande showed how moved he was by the attack by the shakiness of his voice. What is unacceptable is that the 2009 terror attack in Urumqi, in which 197 people died and 1700 people were hurt, was far more severe than in Paris. However, the French government showed no anger or “shaky voice” at this time, but instead interfered with China trying to implement the death penalty upon these terrorists.

It may seem like a minor miracle to get Chinese to actively care about the terror attacks in Paris, but there is one thing that may come to pass. Since the attacks occurred on Friday, there has been no contact with 27 year-old Chinese graduate student Liu Anyu, drawing fears that he may be one of the victims who succumbed in the attacks.

The post Chinese Nationalism Dulls Sympathy for Paris Terror Attack Victims appeared first on The Nanfang.

Four Chinese people are confirmed to have been killed by the blast, two of which were from Hong Kong, two women aged 19 and 24. Another 15 Chinese have been injured. With the memory of last week’s Tianjin blast still fresh in people’s minds, yesterday’s explosion resonated among Chinese netizens, even if it was to illicit a jaded response.

Here then are some Chinese reactions to the Bangkok bombing in which many of them drew parallels with the Tianjin explosion, which so far has claimed 114 fatalities with 70 still missing:

无敌双1988：
Fight back against any form of terrorist attack! Bunch of inhumane animals!

天地一芥：
Is this to shift the focus on domestic issues?

YYYMMua:
What is there to say? At the first opportunity, the casualties were announced to the outside world for the Tianjin explosion. There is no way during organized large-scale search and rescue efforts to confirm the number of dead. On another day, another country, the same situation has happened in Tianjin. The cause behind both of these explosions is not necessarily the same.

云下的浪子：
Don’t go to places with a lot of people; it can only be this way. This contempible, lousy world is too ruthless.

周洲Z_Z：
Isn’t everyone saying that most of this was for the Chinese people?

cocogtw：
My goodness! Yet another explosion!!

kou_离离原：
I hope this was not directed at Chinese tourists… 

尼玛团成团：
I haven’t yet wiped my bum clean when there’s now a new news story that overtakes the important issues.

JKuing：
The frequency of explosions lately is awfully high.

唯一的隐士：
Don’t worry about Thailand. There’s lots still unknown about Tianjin that needs media there.

Miss桃Yy：
The explosion in Tianjin was so big. How could they be part of the fatality list if they were unable to find the bodies? Some people’s brains don’t work properly. If you can find them, then do so!

杨树与海豚：
The (explosions in) Tianjin and Bangkok don’t contradict each other, okay? They are both news; don’t be constantly shouting out that this is just a diversion.

番番番番茄控：
Oh my goodness, what kind of fantasic logic is this? We are all very sad over the Tianjin explosions, but just because we reported the events of August 12, does this mean that we can’t publish other news!? In terms of body count, Tianjin was the bigger explosion. In the resulting chaos, who can put together a precise fatality count? Can a count be made just because you say so? The bodies of so many of our fallen compatriots can’t even be pieced back together! Don’t idly spend all day calling things into question! At this time, you need to put trust into your own country!

窦庆阳：
Yo momma… What is up with China at the moment? Okay, I can handle problems in China, but now tragedy is befalling Chinese in other countries. I pray for the victims, and hope for peace for our country! I love my mighty China!

小小小女子521：
I pray for my mighty China, may the heavens bless my mighty China. Bless the Chinese people with health and safety!

进击之win_记：
There has been a lot of explosions lately…

夢想家PCfan：
Explosions: do they bring contaminated pollutants as well?

IKeyi：
There are Chinese people everywhere.

猪猪猫儿：
So many sons of bitches I need to take care of! You know, many Chinese were hurt in the Bangkok bombing! You brain dead shitheads! How can this be changing the subject, and not caring anymore about our own country? I really think you need to go get your head checked out by a doctor.

The post Chinese Debate Bangkok Bombings in Shadow of Tianjin appeared first on The Nanfang.

On May 28, an “Emergency Response Class” was held at Futian Amalgamated Middle School under the direction of police officer Li. Students were first shown a US anti-terrorism short film about Americans arriving at work and encountering a terrorist attack that may have been Die Hard.

Next, students were taught what to do during such an incident: run away, hide, don’t scream or to attract the attacker’s attention, and then later report it to a teacher or police officer. Students were given a chance to practice their new-found anti-terrorism skills when the school held a mock terrorist attack.

Pictures show a knife-wielding assailant that is disappointingly not wearing a black ski mask as depicted in every game of Counter-Strike, but was bald nonetheless and had the politeness to wear white gloves. The terrorist was subdued by school security guards and staff waiting for him to arrive using instruments that could only be described as “anti-terrorism short sticks”, “anti-terrorism long sticks” and “anti-terrorism shields” until he was finally taken away, smiling at a job well done.

Principal Guo Qijun said that the public should not to be scared of a terrorist attack and emphasized the need for more anti-terrorism drills.

There is no word as to whether every knife attack already reported will now be retroactively labeled as an “act of terrorism”.

Related:

• Knife Attack at Guangzhou Train Station Injures Six People [UPDATED]
• Knife Attack at Shenzhen North Station Watched by Crowd of Bystanders
• Heroes of Guangzhou Knife Attack: Migrant with Rod, Officials with Guns [UPDATED]
• [UPDATED] Three Dead After Unprovoked Knife Attack on Shenzhen Street
• Guangzhou Jittery After False Reports of Knife, Bomb Attacks

Photos: Yangcheng Evening Report via Weibo

The post Shenzhen School Holds Terrorism Drill Involving Mock Knife Attack appeared first on The Nanfang.

This is an infographic that was published on the Sina News portal on May 22, the same day that an attack occurred in public market in Urumqi, Xinjiang that killed 31 people and injured more than 90.

The infographic itself has been separated into several portions. We’ve gone ahead and done a translation into English, as a public service (of course).

Terrorist Attack Survival Handbook

Terror attacks have occurred again in Urumqi, Xinjiang in which the [loss of] life reminds us that we must remain vigilant at all times in public places. Even though the chance of getting involved in a terrorist attack is less than winning the grand prize in a lottery, we should nonetheless prepare ourselves with survival knowledge and tips in order to make losses as minimal as possible.

Upon encountering a violent attack, please keep THESE six points in mind!

1. When encountering such an incident, don’t just stand around and be a spectator.

2. Do not provoke the person committing this violent attack; by all means, do not scream or yell in a horrified way.

3. If there is no way to escape the violent attack in a public area, find a large-scale object to hide in or cover you, and lie down.

4. Try to maintain a calm composure and observe the present situation at the scene. When the time is right, withdraw from the scene to a remote location.

5. Don’t take out your smartphone in order to take pictures, post a microblog, etc.

6. Remain flexible to take whichever course of action necessary depending upon the present situation.

Upon Encountering an Explosion, Do the Following

Situations:

Bomb explosion, car bomb, suicide bomber, etc

Response:

If a bomb has exploded, stabilization is the most important thing.

First step of self-preservation is to get down.

Find cover as this will greatly reduce your chance of getting hurt from flying debris as well as prevent inhalation from any harmful gases.

Observe if there is going to be a secondary explosion and any further injuries. Don’t run around in a panic: this may easily be what the perpetrator of the explosion wants you to do, and could result in more people getting hurt.

If you are on fire, don’t run around; instead, extinguish the fire by rolling around on the ground or use heavy clothing to suppress the fire. Do not waste any time worrying about your personal effects and belongings instead of escaping from the scene.

Upon Encountering a Gun Attack, Do the Following

Situations:

Shots fired from a handgun, shots fired from a rifle, shots fired from a machine gun, etc.

Response:

First Step: Get Down

Quickly cover yourself; quickly have your body adopt a low position. Use every possible single object in your environment to shield yourself.

Do not attempt to outrun the bullets.

Response:

The cover you select can save your life.

The best cover is that which is in-between you and the terrorist.

Objects That Can Shield Your Body and Act as Cover

Objects that can easily conceal a body. For example, a pillar.

No: Lamp posts, trunks of small trees, fire hydrants (as their volume is too small, these items can not sufficiently cover your body).

No: Small hills, ornamental stones (not standardized, easy to be affected by bullets)

Can Block Bullets:

Walls, pillars, large tree trunks, the engine block at the front of a car, tires, etc.

Can’t Block Bullets:

Wooden doors, glass doors, garbage bins, bushes, flower baskets, counters, office chairs, car doors and the rear portion of cars, etc.

Upon Encountering a Robbery, Do the Following

Situations:

Robber, carjacking, boat, airplane, etc.

Response:

Stay calm, do not resist, trust in the government.

Don’t look or talk to them. Lie on the floor. Movements should all be very slow.

Stuff newspapers and magazines into your clothes, particularly into the area in the front of your chest. Often, this is able to defend against knife attacks made by the attacker.

Try your best to keep and conceal any communication devices you have, and promptly set them to silent mode. At the appropriate time, use a text message or other method to notify the police (110) to call for help. The main content of the message should be your exact location, what condition people around you are in and how many people there are, how many terrorist there are, etc.

Pay attention to how many terrorists there are, who their leader is; later, at the appropriate time, provide your evidence.

At the instant that police make their move, try to get down on the ground as best as you can. Under the cover of police, leave the scene.

Upon Encountering arson, Do the Following

Situations:

Public bus, train, cabin, underground shopping plaza, high-rise building, public amusement park, car driving into a tunnel, and subway.

Response:

Do not lose control and panic, blindly scream and yell, be worried about any personal belongings, recklessly open windows and doors, take the elevator, run around however you’d like, jump off a building.

Photos: Sohu via Weibo

The post Don’t Try and Outrun Bullets, Don’t Tweet, and Other Tips from China’s Terrorist Survival Guide appeared first on The Nanfang.

Mr Ren, who accompanied Yang on the same train on May 6, even reminded him to bring his luggage, but Yang did not heed his call. For Yang, running for his life was a familiar instinct given this was the second knife attack he has experienced. Yang was also at the Kunming Railway Station during the knife attack that left 29 people dead last March.

Yang managed to escape both attacks safely.

READ: Knife Attack at Guangzhou Railway Station Injures Six [UPDATED]

When interviewed by Nanfang Metroplis Daily afterwards, Yang said: “I don’t know why I am so unfortunate. On that day (of the Kunming attack), I was seeing my friend off at the train station when I heard people saying someone was attacking people. Today, just as I walked out the station, the same thing happened again.” The attack was so traumatic that Yang ran and hid in a branch of the China Post located in the west corner of the station. Yang sat there for two hours before he recovered. “I saw the attacker slash a man’s neck. The man covered the wound with his hands, but it was dripping with blood,” Yang recalled.

The police said six people were injured during the attack that happened before noon on May 6. Eyewitnesses first claimed there were four knife-wielding attackers wearing white clothes and white hats, but police later confirmed there was only one attacker.

(Here is an image of the alleged attacker circulating online; the attacker is standing on the left side.) 

Another witness named Ms Zhou was originally at the station to pick someone up when she saw a man wearing white clothes charge towards a crowd in her direction. She saw the attacker hack at the back of a woman’s neck. Zhou said, “Her long hair was cut off instantly, and I saw the knife cut deep into her neck. I don’t know how the woman is now.”

A porter surnamed Chen said the attacker was still standing when the police fired a shot at his abdomen. “The police asked him to drop his knife, but he refused and charged towards the police, wielding his weapon. Another porter tripped him from behind, and he eventually fell on the ground. Three policemen made the arrest,” Chen said.

The identity of the attacker is currently unknown; the suspect was not carrying any identification at the time of arrest.

The Guangzhou attack was the third attack at a Chinese train station in recent history. The Kunming knife attack took place in March, and an explosion happened last week at a train station in Urumqi, Xinjiang. During that incident, the detonation of a bomb killed three (two attackers and one civilian) and wounded 79 people.

Home page credit: Guangzhou Daily 

The post Eyewitness Accounts Depict Horrors of Guangzhou Railway Station Attack appeared first on The Nanfang.

Guangzhou is among the first cities to take action. It is upgrading security at its main train stations, shopping centers and at Baiyun Airport following the attack in Kunming which left 29 people dead and more than 140 severely injured, Yangcheng Evening News reported on March 3.

Guangzhou’s Yuexiu police department has stepped up security forces along Beijing Road, a popular shopping street in the city, and sent out fully armed police officers at the entrance of the street, the report said.

More police officers have been dispatched to Guangzhou’s main train station, in ticketing areas and along platforms. Meanwhile, the city’s airport also tightened up its security checks. Each person entering the airport must now go through strict body checks for bombs and other dangerous materials, one person surnamed Huang told the newspaper.

Densely-populated areas including Guangzhou Library, Guangzhou No. 2 Children’s Palace and Tianhe Cheng are also seeing increased security after the Kunming attack. Other cities in Guangdong including Shaoguan and Shanwei have also tightened up security checks in stations, schools and hospitals, the report added.

On Saturday, knife-wielding attackers in black rushed into a railway station in Kunming in southwest Yunnan Province and stabbed people indiscriminately. Xinjiang separatist forces were blamed for the terrorist attack, according to the government, although no group has taken responsibility. As of the writing, state news agency Xinhua has announced the attackers who survived a police onslaught have been captured.

Home page photo credit: Yangcheng Evening News

The post Guangzhou upgrades security in wake of Kunming killing rampage appeared first on The Nanfang.