Chinese editors fired after 'unpatriotic' survey

The dismissal of two editors appears to be linked to an online opinion poll

Two senior editors at a Nasdaq-listed Chinese internet portal have been fired after an online survey revealed deep discontent among their fellow citizens.

More than 65 per cent of Chinese respondents to the survey would choose to be born in another country if they could live their lives over again, the poll at Netease.com indicated. 

Chief news editor Tang Yan and chief commentary editor Liu Xianghui were abruptly dismissed by NetEase on 16 September, according to a report in Hong Kong newspaper Apple Daily. 

The dismissals appear to be linked to the opinion poll published on 4 September, the newspaper's report says. Other local media have since confirmed that the two editors have left NetEase for "undisclosed reasons".

The poll quickly became a focus for Chinese-speaking web users wishing to air their grievances about life in China, their government and China's global status. An apparent minority criticised the poll itself, some describing it as "unpatriotic".

More than 37 per cent of respondents said they would not want to be Chinese in their next life because "being Chinese means you get no respect from people" .

Almost 18 per cent said they would rather be born somewhere else because they could not afford to buy a place to live in China and "happiness seemed to be a long way off".

Of those who did want to be reborn as Chinese, more than 18 per cent said it was because they loved their 'motherland'.

• Cached version of the poll results page (Chinese language)