In a desperate stunt meant to paralyze Xi Jinping and discredit Falun Gong, Jiang Zemin faction member razzle dazzles without a care that millions of Internet users are being affected. (MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images)
A woman views the Chinese social media website Weibo at a cafe in Beijing on April 2, 2012. (MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images)
Three days ago a large-scale Internet disruption occurred in Mainland China. Chinese authorities claimed the network malfunction was the result of an attack by hackers. However, many sources confirm the Internet outage was most likely due to error on the part of those who control the Great Firewall network, the system used by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) authority to block and censor Internet content. So who is responsible for the Internet outage? What was its purpose? Let’s listen to the expert analysis.
At 3.20 p.m. on Jan. 21 China’s Internet system was disrupted. Netizens from Beijing, Guangdong, Hubei and Jiangsu were cut off from accessing the Internet. CCP media Global Times reported that about two-thirds of all websites’ Domain Name Service (DNS) redirected to IP address 65.49.2.178 owned by the company Dynamic Internet Technology (DIT), which developed the Free Gate software used for breaking through the Great Firewall.
Netizens speculated this glitch was quite possibly caused by human error – an unsuccessful attempt of those behind the Great Firewall surveillance network to block DIT – unwittingly directing traffic to the overseas website instead.
On Jan. 22, Netease Science & Technology Channel published an article titled, “DNS Contamination: Why Is China’s Internet So Easily Hijacked?” Following the publication of the article, more questions emerged.
DIT Chief Executive Bill Xia told media that only those behind the Great Firewall itself would only be capable of paralyzing such a large amount of sites in an effort to block overseas websites.
On Jan. 22, the day following the Internet disruption, The New York Times Sinosphere blog reported the CCP’s explanation that the Internet outage was a mysterious attack by hackers.
However, others speculated that the outage was a result of the government’s own network failure, and even possibly caused by a process performed by the CCP known as “poisoning” the DNS.
However, others speculated that the outage was a result of the government’s own network failure, and even possibly caused by a process performed by the CCP known as “poisoning” the DNS.
On Jan. 21, China portal website Tencent’s service was also disrupted, including its QQ social media service.
Electronic software expert Chen Shuai, based in South East Asia, says Tencent Inc. has ties to the military. During past major Internet disruptions, it was still possible to log in to QQ. But during this incident even QQ was disrupted, for which there may be two explanations.
[Chen Shuai]: “There might have been a problem wherein Tencent maintained its own intranet,
triggering the major Internet administration disruption which also affected the Great Firewall.
The malfunction may have resulted when attempting to gain access to blocked websites. This is one explanation.”
triggering the major Internet administration disruption which also affected the Great Firewall.
The malfunction may have resulted when attempting to gain access to blocked websites. This is one explanation.”
Another explanation is the outage was the result of human error during a firewall upgrade.
[Chen Shuai]: “During a Great Firewall upgrade, carelessness or a coding error could result in a large network crash.”
Political commentator Xia Xiaoqiang suspects something entirely different — that the incident was politically motivated.
[Xia Xiaoqiang]: “During the last month, the high level CCP has completed calculating preparations to announce Zhou Yongkang’s arrest. Xi Jinping has continually made reference to ‘catching the big tiger.’ His target is Jiang Zemin and Zeng Qinghong. Once the arrest of Zhou is publicized, the process of punishing Jiang and Zeng will be sped up.”
Xia Xiaoqiang analyses that former CCP leader Jiang Zemin dispatched spy Chen Guangbiao to New York a few weeks ago for the purpose of defaming Falun Gong ended in failure, terrifying Jiang Zemin. Having exhausted all methods of fighting for his faction, Jiang took it upon himself to make one final desperate battle.
Xia Xiaoqiang points out that not only did the Jiang Zemin faction cause the Internet outage, they released confidential information to foreign media regarding overseas assets owned by top CCP leaders including Xi Jinping and Wen Jiabao. This show-stopping measure was for the purpose of paralyzing Xi Jinping.
[Xia Xiaoqiang]: “Such actions will only hasten their downfall. From the CCP’s internal perspective, the actions of the Jiang Zemin faction broke high level rules of the political game and surpassed the bottom line of what is acceptable.
So it is surmised that these actions have most likely aggravated officials and will actually cause more severe punishment of Zhou Yongkang and dramatic disadvantages to Zeng Qinghong and Jiang.”
Right when debate about the cause of the Internet disruption began heating up, the State Information Office issued a ban on spreading rumors, or discussing hype. Analysts say such a measure proves the surge in violent battles inside Zhongnanhai, the headquarters of the CCP.
US-based Epoch Times reported that their source, a former high-ranking official with a princeling background, said the network disruption tactic is the typical insidious approach of Zeng Qinghong, Jiang Zemin’s henchman. This explains why the Global Times, which is controlled by Zeng Qinghong, publicly shifted the blame to Falun Gong.
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