China gripped by censored essay on Beijing

China gripped by censored essay on Beijing

A candid opinion piece describing the growing difficulties of living in Beijing appears to have become the target of Chinese government censorship.

The essay, entitled "Beijing has 20 million people pretending to have a life", says industrialisation, migration and rising costs mean that many people in the city merely survive from day to day, rather than enjoying life.

It spread widely on social media in China after being published last week. Author Zhang Guochen has since issued an apology, though many people are saying he was coerced into this.

Meanwhile, media reports have emerged stressing the positives of life in the Chinese capital and playing down the original piece.
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