blogger/science journalist Xu Lai, with fans immediately before being stabbed
Dear Readers,
I'm glad I'm not a famous blogger in China because the risks are apparently very real which has became more apparent with the horrible stabbing attack of Xu Lai which happened on Saturday.
Xu Lai, the influential writer/blogger responsible for his new book Pro State in Flames was in the middle of a meet greet and talk with his fans at a book store in Beijing when he was attacked (in front of his wife) and stabbed after being dragged into the restroom.
Blogger Xu Lai suffered stab wounds to his stomach and is now recuperating in the hospital.
The reason I have so much respect for this blogger is because he is a gentle soul according to everyone who knows him. There are other bloggers in China more famous than Xu Lai, but now of course with this turn of events, he will immediately be elevated to uber star status. Pretty cool, except for the stabbing part.
Because Xu Lai is so intelligent and opinionated, over time he's created a list of enemies. A humble man with no security stands no chance against a paid assassin.
A newspaper quoted a witness as saying that they heard one of his attackers say: “You brought this on yourself. You know why we’re doing this, don’t you?”
I bet Mr. Xu was scared to death being dragged away in front of his wife and so many onlookers. His attackers didn't seem to care who saw what. They were there to kill him but they failed and he survived which is brilliant.
I'm just happy you can blog in China.
***********
Mr Xu is famous for his biting and often sarcastic style in commenting on social and political issues. He is an editor at the popular Beijing News daily and his book Fanciful Animals was published last November. His blog is believed to carry many entries penned by other contributors.
Blogs are extremely popular in China, where newspapers are heavily censored. Cyberspace police patrol the internet, swiftly closing sites deemed too risqué, but they remain the most important medium for self-expression in China.
timesonline.com-
click to read amazing Chinese blog
Mr.Xu being rushed to hospital where he remains in stable condition
