BBC Words in the News 13/12 with transcript video

Lu Wei’s comments appear to have been provoked by an incident last month in which a popular Chinese singer, Wu Hongfei, was arrested after she published a message threatening to blow up a local government building. She was eventually released, but her message sparked a huge debate about freedom of speech.

Lu Wei is trying to enlist that sort of influence in the hope of pleasing both the Communist Party, which is desperate to maintain power, and millions of young internet users, equally desperate for the freedom to say whatever they want.

Hundreds of millions of Chinese people use the internet, and its influence has worried the Communist Party for years, particularly when the central government becomes a target. For example, in March last year, a number of websites carried rumours that there was a coup going on in Beijing. All of them were shut down and their owners were arrested. For China’s leaders, controlling the internet has become a routine part of controlling the country.

China is the world’s biggest polluter. But toxic smog in its cities is increasingly generating enormous public anger.

Now the authorities say they want the green industries to have a turnover of more than $700bn by 2015. They’re offering tax breaks and subsidies to promote growth and innovation within the sector.

It’s the latest move by the government to curb pollution. Last month, the authorities ordered hundreds of steel, paper and leather factories to shut down production lines that were causing high levels of pollution.