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Chinese Netizen Fined over 1M Yuan for Using VPN

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Re: Chinese Netizen Fined over 1M Yuan for Using VPN

#151

Post by pipes »

bjornsing wrote: post #40

Where I live (Sweden) it’s legal to use GitHub (with or without a VPN). But if I fail to report 138000 USD in earnings I’d still be in for a world of hurt: First the tax authority would take about 100000-200000 USD from me. Then I’d be prosecuted for tax fraud. Nobody would be upset or come to my defense. Not saying I prefer the Chinese system, but it’s interesting that in this specific case it’s probably more lenien…

As far as I understand this is not about tax evasion, it's about "illegally" using a vpn to access GitHub which is blocked by the Chinese government.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censorship_of_GitHub

Re: Chinese Netizen Fined over 1M Yuan for Using VPN

#152

Post by rfoo »

bjornsing wrote: post #40

Where I live (Sweden) it’s legal to use GitHub (with or without a VPN). But if I fail to report 138000 USD in earnings I’d still be in for a world of hurt: First the tax authority would take about 100000-200000 USD from me. Then I’d be prosecuted for tax fraud. Nobody would be upset or come to my defense. Not saying I prefer the Chinese system, but it’s interesting that in this specific case it’s probably more lenien…

> But I guess this guy didn’t have the option to report the income and pay his taxes?

He has the option. I'm not sure if he did it though.

The problem here is it was confiscated arbitrarily, it's not tax authority doing all that.

Re: Chinese Netizen Fined over 1M Yuan for Using VPN

#153

Post by rfoo »

hkmaxpro wrote: post #27
csomar wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So it doesn't give you the idea that China is clamping down on software developers. Unless there is an on-going trend, this is an independent move by some administration out there.

Hu Xijin, the former editor-in-chief of CCP’s mouthpiece Global Times, wrote a Weibo post questioning the confiscation. His Weibo post was later deleted. [0] Whether the post was deleted by himself or by a censor, the central government is complicit in banning VPN and this is more than an independent move by a local government (unless you think the local government has substantial influence on Hu Xijin or the censor)…

> unless you think the local government has substantial influence on Hu Xijin or the censor

They do.

Re: Chinese Netizen Fined over 1M Yuan for Using VPN

#154

Post by tw1984 »

angra_mainyu wrote: post #136
tw1984 wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Around here setting up a sausage stand is tightly regulated. Around here, setting up a sausage stand requires special approval from the Prime Minister of the People's Republic of China. That is the exact special & emergency arrangement they put forward during COVID - people were allowed to setup such stands in selected areas during weekends to boost economy during COVID.

What about before COVID?

There is a dedicated government department tasked for cracking down all those street vendors/stands, it called the urban management department. It is the department that has the lowest public approval rating in China with its staff regularly engage in brutal violence against those trying to setup a stand on the streets to make a living.

Their (stupid) logic is simple - such stands / street food vendors degrade the overall investment potentials, as no one wants their multi billion investment project to be surrounded by thousands of street food vendors.

welcome to state capitalism.

Re: Chinese Netizen Fined over 1M Yuan for Using VPN

#155

Post by smcl »

tw1984 wrote: post #131
smcl wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The UAW striking, and politicians showing support for unions is nothing new and doesn't suggest the USA is suddenly careening towards communism. You're either incredibly naive or have consumed some hysterical far-right news if you believe this.

When compared to China, the US is getting more and more like a communist country while China is getting more and more into state capitalism. There are facts you just can't deny at all - * far less income inequality in the US. A US software engineer working for Google/Apple/Amazon probably makes 3-5x more than a typical unskilled US worker, in China, a Chinese software engineer working for Alibaba/Tencent/Huawei can e…

I suggest you look up what "communism" actually is - it's much more than "the government slightly helps you sometimes"

Re: Chinese Netizen Fined over 1M Yuan for Using VPN

#156

Post by npteljes »

b112 wrote: post #146
npteljes wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not really. Confiscating the illegal earnings is not part of the punishment, the fine is just the extra part.

What?! He did the work, likely diligently and with aplomb. He performed excellent work, in exchange for money. And then a third party, the government, who had no part in this, took money from him. No matter how it was assessed, was a fine.

I disagree. I don't like the their govt rules, and I especially condemn their lack of rule of law and selective enforcement, but the fine is 200, and the rest is the confiscation of illegal earnings.

I do wonder where the employer is in this picture. Who are they? Do they not protect their employee? It's well known that VPN and GitHub is banned in China, did they make this netizen use the VPN and the illegal service knowingly? Did the netizen use these knowing it's illegal, or were they misled to believe they have legal access? Was the employee a remote contractor of sorts?

Re: Chinese Netizen Fined over 1M Yuan for Using VPN

#157

Post by ookdatnog »

FredPret wrote: post #67
ookdatnog wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your entire argument is nonsensical, but this part: > With enough money you can buy all the others is particularly easily falsifiable. A billionaire in China does not have freedom of speech and cannot buy it.

I'd love to see your well-developed argument against economic freedom. Our billionaire Chinese friend can escape to the free world, or buy political influence at home.

I'm not arguing against economic freedom, I'm arguing against your argument in favor of economic freedom. And I'm arguing against you ranking it higher than, say, freedom of speech.
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