China Memes & Viral

“The Frog in the Well”: China’s Condemnation of the G7 Summit

The most noteworthy criticism of the G7 summit came from Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying, who started the frog analogy.

Published

1 year ago

May 24, 2023

What's on Weibo Team

There has been a lot of talk about frogs in Chinese online discussions following the G7 summit. Over the past week, the G7 summit, that was held in Hiroshima from 19 to 21 May, was criticized in Chinese newspaper headlines and by official media accounts, while China’s ministry of foreign affairs accused the G7 of “smearing” and “attacking” China.

The G7 was called a “failure” on the China Daily front page of May 22. On the same day, Global Times called the summit “manipulative” in its front page headline and suggested the Group of Seven had descended into an “anti-China workshop” in its op-ed, which featured an illustration by Liu Rui that showed the seven nations in a boat, not cooperating and barely moving.

The Global Times op-ed, including the cartoon by Li Rui. Source: Global Times.

But perhaps the most noteworthy criticism on the G7 summit came from Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying (华春莹).

On her official Twitter account (@SpokespersonCHN) Hua lashed out against the G7 and its participating nations in a series of tweets in which she condemned the summit as hypocritical, deceptive, and biased, while highlighting China’s contributions to global economic growth.

Some of the tweets posted by Hua Chunying in response to the Group of Seven “attacking” and “slandering” China.

The Chinese condemnation of the G7 is a direct response to the G7 Communiqué and to the summit’s supposed “hype around China-related issues.”

During the G7 summit in Hiroshima, the participating nations expressed growing concerns about China’s expanding global influence. The summit’s official statement emphasized the need to “de-risk” rather than “de-couple” from China in their relationship. The statement mentioned China 20 times, a significant increase from the 14 mentions in 2022.

The discussions focused on various aspects related to China, including its relations with Taiwan, human rights issues in Xinjiang and Tibet, interference in democratic institutions, and responses to Russia’s military aggression.

Prior to the summit, President Emmanuel Macron of France made it clear through one of his advisers that the G7 was not an ‘anti-Chinese’ coalition. However, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak of the United Kingdom went beyond the official statement, emphasizing the significant threat posed by China to global security. Speaking to reporters at the G7 meeting, Sunak stated that “China poses the biggest challenge of our age to global security and prosperity. They are increasingly authoritarian at home and assertive abroad.”

From China’s perspective, the Group of Seven is unwilling to go beyond their own distorted world view in which China is labeled a threat. And so, in one of Hua’s tweets, she posted an image showing a frog on the bottom a well, looking up to the sky and wondering: “G7 = world?”

The image tweeted out by Hua Chunying on 22 May, 2023. Source: Twitter.com.

The depiction of a frog in the well is a direct reference to the well-known fable by philosopher Zhuangzi about a frog in a well who does not believe it when a turtle tells him that the world is bigger than the view from the well. The frog stubbornly denies the existence of the wider world and asserts that nothing lies beyond what he can see. The fable has given rise to Chinese idioms such as “the frog at the bottom of the well” (井底之蛙) and “looking at the sky from the bottom of the well” (坐井观天). These idioms are commonly used to describe those who exhibit ignorance and resist broadening their understanding beyond their limited perspective.

Hua’s frog-tweet and others were also shared on Weibo by state media outlet China Daily, which initiated the hashtags “Hua Chunying Fires Back with Series of Tweets to Counter G7’s Smear Campaign Against China” (#华春莹连发多条推特回击G7抹黑中国言论#) and “Hua Chunying Uses Frog at Bottom of Well to Hit Back at G7’s Smearing Remarks” (#华春莹用井底之蛙回击G7抹黑言论#).

One nationalistic Weibo blogging account (@大大大餅乾丶) shared additional images of frogs, including one with a frog adorned with an American flag and the word “independence” written on its forehead. The blogger pointed out that some groups in Taiwan believed that Hua’s frog tweet was directed at Taiwan, stating: “It seems like their self-awareness is right on point.”

Post by Weibo account @大大大餅干丶, including the frog image. (Source: Weibo.com).

The connection between the frog idiom and Taiwan is not unfounded. In August 2022, during Pelosi’s controversial visit to Taiwan, an illustration depicting a frog leisurely relaxing in a hotpot while the US increased the heat and mainland China held the lid also went viral online.

Illustration by Kokita Chang, circulating on Weibo in August of 2022.

Meanwhile, on Weibo, many praised Hua’s sharp criticism of the way in which China was targeted during the G7 talks and embraced the frog analogy. “One a frog, always a frog,” some wrote.

Other state media outlets, including Global Times, also reported about Hua’s tweets and argued that that the G7 is purposely hyping the “China treat” theory (中国威胁论). The louder their anti-China rhetoric is, the less impact it has, the article argues.

Other commenters, however, seemed to note some irony in the frog analogy. One blogger argued that since the frog in the image himself wonders if the G7 is really the entire world, he actually already does not have such a limited worldview. Several Weibo users wondered who the frog actually represented, suggesting it could either be the G7, Taiwan, or mainland China itself.

Within this context, some individuals expressed curiosity about Hua Chunying’s choice to post the original message on the American Twitter platform, which is inaccessible within mainland China. They humorously remarked, “Twitter? What is Twitter?”

By Manya Koetse & Zilan Qian

Follow @whatsonweibo

Get the story behind the hashtag. Subscribe to What’s on Weibo here to receive our newsletter and get access to our latest articles:

Spotted a mistake or want to add something? Please let us know in comments below or email us. First-time commenters, please be patient – we will have to manually approve your comment before it appears.

Up Next

‘Carpet Pacific’: A Timeline of the Cathay Pacific Scandal Through Weibo Hashtags

Don't Miss

China’s Celebrity Weight Craze: Qin Hao’s Viral Diet and Body Anxiety Behind the Weight-Loss Trend

What's on Weibo Team

Stories that are authored by the What's on Weibo Team are the stories that multiple authors contributed to. Please check the names at the end of the articles to see who the authors are.

Click to comment

China Memes & Viral

Why the “人人人人景点人人人人” Hashtag is Trending Again on Chinese Social Media

China’s Golden Week, from October 1 to October 7, is one of the busiest times of the year for travel and sightseeing, with crowds surging across popular destinations.

Published

4 days ago

October 2, 2024

Manya Koetse

China is celebrating its National Day Holiday this week. This week-long holiday, also known as the Golden Week, is a popular time for trips, travel, and sightseeing.

On Chinese social media, it has become somewhat of a tradition to post about just how busy it is at China’s various sightseeing spots. This is often done using hashtags like “人人人人[place]人人人人” or “人人人人[me]人人人人.”

The character 人 (rén) means person or human; “人人” (rénrén) means “everyone,” and the more “人人人” (rén rén rén) are used, the more it playfully emphasizes the crowds of people.

On October 2, the hashtag “人人人人景点人人人人” was top trending, rén rén rén rén jǐngdiǎn rén rén rén rén, which basically means “people, people, people everywhere at the tourist spots, and more people.”

One such crowded place is Suzhou (苏州), where its ancient Shantang Street in the heart of the old town is packed with tourists this week ( #人人人人人苏州人人人人人#).

Crowds in Suzhou, photos posted on Weibo by @数码王小机

Other places like Chongqing, Xi’an, and Hangzhou also saw vast crowds during the various celebratory events and performances organized in these cities.

People also posted photos of the situation in places like the Guangzhou Zoo on October 2nd, or at the Beijing Great Wall, or at the Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang.

Crowds in Luoyang, images by @李旭的散装生物学

Besides the Great Wall in Beijing, other places in the Chinese capital are also seeing large crowds this week, such as Tiananmen, Summer Palace, Forbidden City, Lama Temple, and Nanluoguxiang.

Beijing crowds via @秒观视频

Beijing crowds via @秒观视频

Although China’s domestic spots are drawing massive crowds, China Daily reports that international travel has become more popular again during this year’s week-long National Day holiday, with bookings for international flights doubling compared to the same period last year.

According to the travel platform Qunar, there is increasing demand for new and more niche destinations, including countries in Africa. However, the most popular international destinations remain closer to home, such as Hong Kong, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, and Osaka.

Also read: China’s National Holiday Crowds: Even the Desert’s Camels Are Stuck in Traffic

By Manya Koetse
(follow on X, LinkedIn, or Instagram)

Featured image on top: Guangzhou South Station during National Holiday, by @爱打板的乐哥

Follow What’s on Weibo on

China Memes & Viral

About Wang Chuqin’s Broken Paddle at Paris 2024

It’s the incident that broke the champion’s bat – after winning gold at the table tennis mixed doubles, Wang’s paddle got damaged. It’s a topic that keeps brewing online.

Published

2 months ago

July 31, 2024

Manya Koetse

It has already become one of China’s most famous paddles. The original paddle used by the popular Chinese table tennis player and Paris 2024 medal favorite Wang Chuqin (王楚钦) became one of the most discussed topics on the Chinese social media platform Weibo over the past 48 hours after it was stepped on and broken by a photographer at the Olympic venue.

Wang Chuqin is particularly loved on Weibo, where many fans also refer to him as “Big Head” (大头), a nickname his coach once gave him that stuck. When playing with Sun Yingsha (孙颖莎), the powerful duo is also referred to as the “Sha-tou Combination” (莎头组合) on social media.

The incident happened right after Wang Chuqin and Sun Yunsha, the powerful ‘Sha-tou’ duo, won gold in the table tennis mixed doubles final against the North Korean duo Ri Jong-sik and Kim Kum-yong. (A hashtag related to that match, by the way, received a staggering 960 million views on Weibo).

As the champions bowed to the fans and held up the Chinese flag to celebrate their win, Wang had his paddle on the side where a photographer stepped on it.

One video captured by an audience member showed Wang’s reaction upon finding out his racket was damaged. His coach tried to hold him back when he angrily confronted the Olympic venue staff for letting the photographers get all over his belongings.

The incident led to online anger. People felt for Wang, and worried about the impact the incident may or would have on his upcoming performances. Those blaming the athlete for leaving his paddle on the sideline of the Olympic table tennis court were rebuked by others. One comment by a popular Weibo blogger (@Do医生) said:

“I’m surprised to see some people blaming Wang Chuqin for leaving his paddle lying around. The paddle was not broken while lying on the ground—it was inside his luggage when it got stepped on and broken. The higher the level of competition, the greater the impact of differences in paddle feel. The team surely prepared a backup paddle, and we ofcourse hope Wang Chuqin can perform well with it and not be affected by this incident. However, you should not be confused about the photographer’s carelessness in stepping on the paddle, and you certainly shouldn’t turn things around and blame the athlete.

Others agreed, saying an athlete has every right to leave their belongings in the resting area beside the court, and that anyone stepping on these items was unnecessarily careless.

Who Broke the Champion’s Bat?

On Wednesday, one Weibo blogger posted a zoomed-in photo showing Wang’s paddle in his suitcase on the sidelines of the Olympic venue, saying: “There’s a footprint on Wang Chuqin’s paddle.”

Who broke Wang Chuqin’s paddle? Angered fans who wanted to get to the bottom of the story started to replay videos showing the aftermath of the video and closely examined which photographer must have stepped on the racket. Some people suggested it must have been intentional.

They concluded it must have been the photographer with the number 3488 on his back, as he could be seen crouching down in one of the videos, seemingly rearranging some items on the floor about where the suitcase allegedly was, before stepping away.

A related hashtag, namely “Video Replay of the Incident Where Wang Chuqin’s Paddle Was Stepped On and Broken” (#视频回放王楚钦球拍被踩断始末#), received over 370 million views on Weibo.

Many wondered: “Why is he not held accountable?” Others demanded ‘3488’ to step forward and apologize.

Blaming the Backup Paddle

The day after the broken paddle incident, the original racket and its replacement remained a topic of discussion. During the July 31st Wang Chuqin vs. Truls Möregårdh singles match, many viewers noted that Wang seemed nervous. “Was it because he did not have his original paddle,” many wondered.

Table tennis holds a special significance and extra weight for China during the Olympics. Although it’s originally an imported sport, it became one of the most popular sports in China – ChatGPT even calls it China’s “national sport” – and it is also among the sports that seem to get the most attention on Weibo, where the 24-year-old Wang Chuqin is among the most celebrated Olympic athletes.

In the end, however, Wang was unable to beat his Swedish competitor. Disappointed fans attributed his loss to the fact that he did not have his own lucky paddle.

After the match, Wang denied that using his backup paddle had anything to do with his loss. He did admit that the incident had affected him, but he blamed himself for making too many mistakes.

But many fans and commenters will not let the issue go. They suggest that the paddle was damaged on purpose, especially because nobody has stepped forward to take responsibility.

The incident in pictures, as posted by @唐哲同学.

Some Weibo users also tried to see what happened when they stepped on their own rackets. One person (@冬酿糯米糍) demonstrated what happened when she jumped on a cheap racket she had purchased – not much. “I really don’t believe it was not deliberate,” she said about the Wang Chuqin incident. “My friends also tried this out. It’s really difficult to break a racket by accidentally stepping on it.”

The only paddle more famous than the broken one is the backup one. Discussions on to what extent the replacement paddle has affected the outcome of the game are ongoing.

By now, the Weibo hashtag “Wang Chuqin’s Backup Paddle” (#王楚钦副拍#) has received over 340 million views on Weibo.

Update: On August 1st, Chinese media reported that the incident is currently being investigated (#王楚钦球拍被踩事件正在调查#).

Update, August 9: As this incident gradually fades into the background, the IOC has stated that there will be no new investigation into the matter. Disappointed fans of Wang are still demanding answers.

By Manya Koetse

Follow @whatsonweibo