Chinese Cartoonist Suspended Following Depiction of Hu

中国漫画家画胡锦涛被停职

Media reports say Chinese newspaper artist Kuang Biao has been suspended from his job for his cartoon of Chinese President Hu Jintao weeping. But the Associated Press quotes Kuang Biao as saying he has not been suspended. He says simply that he will spend a month of what he calls self-reflection and that he will pay more attention in the future.

Kuang told the Associated Press that he came under fire from readers after the Guangzhou-based New Express newspaper ran his cartoon. It depicts President Hu weeping while replying to a letter from the daughter of a university professor who died from overwork.

Chinese media almost never depict leaders in a negative or potentially embarrassing light, and cartoonists rarely depict leaders at all.

媒体报导说，中国的报纸漫画家邝飙因画中国国家主席胡锦涛哭泣的漫画而被停职。但是，美联社援引邝飙的话说，他没有被停职。他说，他只是用一个月的时间进行自我反省，并表示在将来工作中会更加注意。

邝飙对美联社说，广州新快报刊登了他的漫画后，他受到读者的指责。漫画中，胡锦涛在回复因过度工作而去世的一位大学教授的女儿来信时流泪。

中国媒体几乎从来不用负面的或是可能带来尴尬的形式塑造领导人，漫画家几乎从来不画领导人的漫画。