"The Ministry of Harmony" is a satirical website that has dubbed itself as "The Onion for China." It presents a humorous take on news items from China, as well as Chinese viewpoints on events that occur in other countries.
The name "Ministry of Harmony" is obviously influenced by the various ministries from Nineteen Eighty-Four, as well as the concept of the "Harmonious Socialist Society"
envisioned by former Chinese Leader Hu Jintao, which domestic and foreign critics have derided as being Doublespeak for "stability at all costs", and an excuse for governmental suppression of dissidents and increased online censorship. In addition, if abbreviated in the fashion of 1984, it becomes the aptly-named MiniHarm.
Frequent targets of MiniHarm include the Chinese Communist Party, corruption in the Chinese government, Chinese nationalism, and pollution in China.
The site can be found here
The Ministry of Harmony has permitted the use of the following tropes:
- Asian and Nerdy: "Gaokao Proctors Finish Clearing Bodies from Exam Halls"
- Black Comedy Rape: Usually in the context of the Second Sino-Japanese War.
- "“Any child who’s ever read a Japanese history textbook knows that Japan was a victim in the Second World War, not an aggressor...Mao Zedong, on the other hand, was responsible for the deaths of millions of Japanese soldiers, some of whom hadn’t yet raped a single person.”
- "“Pleasant Goat” to Retain Scene Where Pretty Goat is Raped by Japanese Soldiers"
- "“Any child who’s ever read a Japanese history textbook knows that Japan was a victim in the Second World War, not an aggressor...Mao Zedong, on the other hand, was responsible for the deaths of millions of Japanese soldiers, some of whom hadn’t yet raped a single person.”
- Censorship Bureau: The entire site is purportedly run by the Chinese censorship offices.
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And they love the Walking Dead. Even though it's Banned in China. - "The final cut of the [Cloud Atlas] came in at a little over two minutes after all the homosexual sex, heterosexual sex, human-animal sex, animal-plant sex, political intrigue, Dutch angles, dialogue, conflict, nuance, dramatic tension and most of the credits were excised, having been deemed inappropriate for Chinese audiences."
- "Chinese Release of Skyfall to Omit Sequence Where 007 Shoots Entire Politburo in the Head"
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- China Takes Over the World: "Jade Rabbit Tramples American Flag with Last Ounce of Strength"
- Comically Missing the Point: "Nation Horrified by Corrupt Official’s Appalling Taste"
- Corrupt Politician: Virtually every Chinese politician in existence, particularly Xi Jinping.
- Cowboy Cop: Wang Qishan is portrayed as such in Wang Qishan Determined To Break This Motherfucker.
- Disproportionate Retribution: Frequently, with the ham-handed Chinese authorities.
- "Eight Million Uyghurs Arrested in Connection with Xinjiang Attack""Though no terror attacks have been committed in the nine hours since the entire Uyghur population of Xinjiang was imprisoned, Han violence in the restive province has continued unabated. 'Well, there’s nothing we can do about that,' Zhou shrugged. 'There just too many of them.'"
- "Toddler Who Mooned Li Keqiang Could Face Death Penalty"
- Inverted in "China Calls for “Measured Response” after North Korea Nukes Beijing"."Immediately after the complete destruction of the nation’s capital, the surviving members of the Chinese government issued a statement calling for 'restraint and careful diplomacy' following this 'unfortunate development.'"
- "Eight Million Uyghurs Arrested in Connection with Xinjiang Attack
- Eagle Land: Depictions of Americans usually land somewhere in Flavor 2.
- Even Evil Has Standards: "Death Eaters Resent Comparison to Communist Party."
- The Horseshoe Effect: "Anti-Fascist Parade Indistinguishable from Fascist Parade"
- Implausible Deniability: "If I Had to Poison My Roommate, I’d Definitely Go with Thallium"
- Kangaroo Court: The Bo Xilai trial is the best example, although there are others.
- Police Brutality: "Police Mistakenly Tackle Man Who Knows Nothing About Tiananmen"
- Polluted Wasteland: Large Chinese cities, particularly Beijing and Shanghai, are frequently depicted as such.
- Rousing Speech: Xi Jinping's speech from "Xi Jinping Delivers Two-Hour Speech Consisting Entirely of the Word “China”".
- "China, China, China."
- "China!"
- Trojan Horse: "China Gifts Japan Giant Wooden Horse, Withdraws from South China Sea"
