A furious Chinese internet takes on privilege

In China, a wave of public anger is growing over the privileges enjoyed by some celebrities and professionals, especially when it seems they have used family connections to get ahead. This year, Chinese actress Nashi became the center of a major controversy. She was expected to have a breakthrough year with big roles in movies and a popular TV drama. However, in June, people online started questioning how she got into a top drama school more than ten years ago. They suspected that her mother, who is also an actress and attended the same school, helped her get in. This led to a huge backlash on social media, and soon, Nashi's name was removed from her TV drama, and companies stopped working with her. The government even began an official investigation into her academic records to calm the public.

Nashi is not the only one facing this kind of scrutiny. In recent months, several young women, including another actress, a Harvard graduate, and a doctor from a top Beijing hospital, have been accused of using their family ties to gain unfair advantages. Many young people in China are frustrated because they feel that hard work is not enough to succeed anymore. Instead, they believe that having the right connections, known as guanxi, is what really matters. This feeling is especially strong now, as the economy slows down and jobs become harder to find.

The internet has become a place where people express their anger and investigate these scandals. For example, two doctors at a famous Beijing hospital were caught in a scandal after one doctor's wife accused him of favoring a colleague he was having an affair with. The internet soon discovered that the woman involved, Ms Dong, had finished her medical studies in just four years, when it usually takes at least eight. People accused her of cheating and using her family's influence to get into a special program. The government investigated and found that she had indeed broken the rules, so she lost her medical license and degrees. However, people still suspect that there are more secrets being hidden, especially about her family's political connections.

Another case involved Yurong Luanna Jiang, a Harvard graduate whose speech at her graduation ceremony went viral. She talked about her difficult childhood and how hard work had helped her succeed. At first, people praised her, but soon, they began to question her story and accused her of not being honest about her background. Many young Chinese people feel that opportunities are shrinking, and they are angry when they see others succeed through connections rather than effort.

There was also a scandal involving actress Huang Yang Tian Tian, who was seen wearing earrings that looked extremely expensive. People wondered how she could afford them and discovered that her father was a government official who became a businessman. Some suspected that he had made money in a dishonest way, especially after a big earthquake in their hometown. The government said the earrings were just cheap copies, but many people did not believe them.

The Chinese government has tried to respond to these scandals by launching investigations and telling young people to work hard and endure difficulties. However, many people feel that these actions are not enough to restore trust. Online, people complain that they work very hard but still struggle, while those with connections get ahead easily. They feel that the system is unfair and that only a small group of elites benefit.

This growing anger shows that many people in China want a fairer society, where success is based on merit and hard work, not just on who you know. The government faces a big challenge in addressing these concerns and rebuilding public trust.