The day that the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled that China had been stealing islands in the South China Sea, the Chinese Communist Party Youth League shared this viral video of young Chinese patriots saying "South Sea arbitration, who cares?"
The video is blowing up in China, but it's clearly intended for more than the domestic audience, given that nearly all the words spoken in it are in English. It's also an example of a collapsing online vernacular: the music, editing, and visual elements of this video could have been in an It Gets Better meme or an ALS Icebucket Challenge.
A musical video compilation of Chinese citizens defiantly stating "South Sea arbitration, who cares?" has gained over 3.5 million views.
The video was posted on the Weibo account of Beijing news site dooo.cc on the day it was announced that the Permanent Court of Arbitration had ruled against China in its claims to resources in the South China Sea. It was also shared by the Chinese Communist Party Youth League's account.
VIDEO: 'South Sea arbitration, who cares?' – Defiant militaristic music video gains traction in China
[Hong Wrong/Hong Kong Free Press]
(via Bruce Sterling)
