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Jonathan White

Considering that there is no international football being played right now, it is quite a feat that Yang Xu has become China’s record scorer.
Flat-track bully Yang has 28 international goals, most of which have come against the minnows of the global game.
He counts four against Guam (199th in the world) last year and has seven more in two games against Bhutan (189th in the world) among his record tally.
Yang has jumped to the top of the rankings because China’s true top scorer Hao Haidong has been deleted from the Chinese internet.


Happy Birthday to the inaugural #ACL Top Scorer, Hao Haidong!  Enjoy a selection of his goals from the 2002-03 tournament! pic.twitter.com/NWav9vMlha
 — #ACL2020 (@TheAFCCL) May 9, 2020

Hao took part in a live-stream on Thursday – the 31st anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown – calling for the Communist Party to be overthrown and issuing a “manifesto for the establishment of a Chinese federation”. He has allied himself with the dissident billionaire Guo Wengui.
Many may have wondered if Hao had been at the baijiu that he promotes but the football superstar has been ever more outspoken in recent months.
Chinese sports couple who denounced Communist Party may disappear from record books
He expressed his displeasure with China’s policy of naturalisation that has seen Brazilian striker Elkeson given Chinese nationality as they look to qualify for a second World Cup.
He also came out in support of Wuhan diarist Fang Fang last month, something that brought him the full “wumao” troll treatment on Weibo.
Hao had also been critical of China's nationalist youth on there, something else which turned his comments section into a battleground.

He also reflected on the Battle of Sarhu, between the Jin and Ming dynasties, saying “the dynasty does not represent the state”. Safe to say he is not your ordinary former footballer.
When he was not calling them out, he was speaking up for footballers.
Hao called on Guangzhou Evergrande owner Xu Jiayin to stop treating his players as “tools” after sacking Yu Hanchao for doctoring his car licence plate to avoid traffic restrictions.

Hao was the striker when China, who Fifa credit with inventing football, reached their only World Cup finals in the 2002 tournament in Japan and South Korea. He was the star of that team and it is hard to overstate how much of a celebrity he was.
This was a footballer who, at a time when the internet was not widespread in China and access to content overseas was largely non-existent outside pirated VCDs and CDs sold in the tourist markets, was a superstar.
If it was any other footballer it would be less of an issue. Hao rose through the ranks, quite literally, by playing for the Bayi team. Bayi, which means August 1 (the founding date of the PLA), is the army team and all of the players have to be serving members of the military.

He moved from there to Dalian Shide, the all-conquering Chinese champions of the 1990s. The Liaoning side showed their mettle on the continental stage in the AFC Champions League, with Hao finishing top scorer in the first AFC Champions League tournament in 2002-03.
There have been many comparisons made for the “Chinese Alan Shearer”, ranging from Landon Donovan to David Beckham but perhaps it is a non-football one that carries the most weight.
Michael Jordan was the biggest star in the world in Hao’s playing days and the comparison is fair. In a country of one billion, he was their Jordan, which is what makes this even harder for many to process. That’s if they even get the chance, as in true China fashion he has been deleted from the internet behind The Great Firewall.

Never mind cancel culture, this is a Soviet-style airbrushing from history much the same as Stalin's penchant for purging photos of undesirables only on a much grander scale. A scale that only the Chinese internet can do. His disappearance was swift, starting with his Weibo account being blocked then vanishing online entirely.
He is not the first, of course, even in the sporting world. The Houston Rockets, aka “Team 404" on account of the internet error message, and Arsenal footballer Mesut Ozil know all about it, but Hao is another level.
Those were foreigners and their popularity was not sourced on national pride. Arguably there is not another Chinese footballer who would have been more problematic.


.@RafaelNadal has a kickabout with Chinese footballer Hao Haidong #ChinaOpen pic.twitter.com/yHmyUegHQR
 — China Open (@ChinaOpen) September 30, 2017

On Wednesday, the internet was congratulating him for his son Hao Runze scoring a first goal in Serbian football and hoping that the younger Hao would follow in his father's footsteps and play for the national team.
Barely 24 hours later and Hao Haidong as a search term was no longer. The only thing that came up were articles about Hao Runze but it is safe to say that the youngster's dreams of playing for China are over.
The irony here is that now Hao has been removed from China's internet, he is all over the rest of the web. Someone claiming to be him joined Twitter on Thursday and had amassed 42,000 followers in barely 24 hours.


#SuperligaSrbije| El gol del joven chino #HaoRunze, hijo del mítico #HaoHaidong, le da el empate en el último minuto al #FKRadnickiNiš en el campo del #FKNapredakKrusevac en la primera división de Serbia. pic.twitter.com/cw61Ma0xsk
 — Superliga de China (@Superligachina) May 31, 2020

Whether it is him or not, in the West he has gone from a cult football figure – one who made a single appearance for Sheffield United – to a person of interest and that has to be seen as another own goal for China.



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Chinese Football Association (CFA)

Hao Haidong more famous than ever after being airbrushed from history

Hao Haidong looks on during China’s game against Hong Kong in Fifa World Cup qualifying in 2004. Photo: SCMP

China's striker Hao haidong evades a tackle by Iraq's goalkeeper Ahmed Ali Jaber during a quarterfinal match at the Asian Cup Soccer in Beijing July 30, 2004. REUTERS/Wilson Chu

China's striker Hao Haidong, who injured his head during a semi-final match against Iran, walks past a supporter in Beijing August 5, 2004. China's Foreign Ministry is urging soccer fans to be well behaved when the Chinese and Japanese teams face off in the Asian Cup final on Saturday, but it also criticised Japan's media for linking the match to politics. REUTERS/China Photos

Hao Haidong and his wife Ye Zhaoying make their political manifesto through internet.

China's Hao Haidong celebrates with an unseen teammate after scoring the only goal of the match, against Kuwait during a 2006 World Cup Asian Zone Group 4 qualifying match in Guangzhou, Southern China's Guangdong province, 18 February 2004. China beat Kuwait 1-0. AFP PHOTO

Chinese sports couple Hao Haidong and Ye Zhaoying face being wiped from record books after political appeal

(L-R) Hao Haidong and Ye Zhaoying

China's Hao Haidong (No. 9) prepares to take a shot as Hong Kong's Peter Man Pei-tak (No. 3) falls to the ground during their 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying match (Asian Zone Group D) at Siu Sai Wan Sports Ground, Siu Sai Wan. No. 4 is Ng Wai-chiu. China won 1-0. 31 March 2004

Sina Sports search shows no news on Hao Haidong

China's Ye Zhaoying jubilates after she defeated Indonesia's Susi Susanti in the women's singles final title in the 170,000 US dollar Singapore Open badminton championship 16 August. Ye beat Susanti 11-5, 6-11,11-2 to take prize money of 8,500 US dollars. AFP PHOTO

Hao Haidong (left) plays for Hong Kong when as a representative team takes on La Liga giants Real Madrid in 2003 as part of the Sars relief campaign. Photo: SCMP

Retired footballer denounces Communist Party, calls for ‘Chinese federation’

It was not clear where and when Hao Haidong recorded the video. Photo: Twitter

=== PHOTO CAPTURED FROM TWITTER === The English version of the proclamation of the founding of the new federal was read by Steve Bannon, a hawkish former US government advisor who once called the Nasdaq to bar all Chinese companies, on a boat near the Statue of Liberty in New York. 04JUN20 TWITTER

Cologne and Mesut Ozil count cost of China backlash

Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil reacts during the English Premier League match against Manchester City. The game was not shown in China. Photo: EPA

FILE - In this Nov. 18, 2017 file photo a Chinese spectator attempts to tear away a Tibetian flag which was raised by others in protest of China's politics regarding Tibet at the friendly match between TSV Schott Mainz and China's U20 team at the regional sports facility in Mainz, Germany. The German soccer federation is hoping China's under-20 team is more relaxed about any further protests it may face while playing friendly matches in the country after walking off mid-game last weekend. (Hasan Bratic/dpa via AP,file)

18 December 2019, Frankfurt/Main: Cologne's Sebastiaan Bornauw (2nd L) celebrates scoring his side's second goal with teammates during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Eintracht Frankfurt and 1. FC Cologne at the Commerzbank Arena. Photo: Thomas Frey/dpa - WICHTIGER HINWEIS: Gemäß den Vorgaben der DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga bzw. des DFB Deutscher Fußball-Bund ist es untersagt, in dem Stadion und/oder vom Spiel angefertigte Fotoaufnahmen in Form von Sequenzbildern und/oder videoähnlichen Fotostrecken zu verwerten bzw. verwerten zu lassen.

epaselect epa06067958 Chinese President Xi Jinping (2-L) and his wife Peng Liyuan (1-L), German Chancellor Angela Merkel (3-L), Reinhard Grindel (4-L), President of the German Football Association (DFB) seen a soccer game of U12 children between Germany and China during their visit in Olympic Park in Berlin, Germany, 05 July 2017. Chancellor Angela Merkel and the Chinese President of the People's Republic of China, Xi Jinping, will be informing about the current status of cooperation in the field of football at the Olympic Park in Berlin. EPA/RONALD WITTEK / POOL

(FILES) This file photo taken on November 18, 2017 shows protesters holding the Tibetan flag ahead of the friendly football match TSV Schott Mainz vs China's Under-20 team in Mainz, Germany, on November 18, 2017. German football authorities have been told to find a compromise with the visiting China Under-20 team over the issue of pro-Tibet protests, or scrap their remaining friendlies. The Chinese junior team is touring southwest Germany as part of an initiative aimed at advancing China's chances at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. / AFP PHOTO / dpa / Hasan Bratic / Germany OUT

Arsenal's Spanish head coach Mikel Arteta (R) embraces Arsenal's German midfielder Mesut Ozil (L) on the pitch after the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium in London on January 1, 2020. - Arsenal won the game 2-0. (Photo by Ian KINGTON / IKIMAGES / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (3R) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (2R) greet the players before a soccer match between the U12 teams of Germany and China in Berlin, Germany, July 5, 2017. REUTERS/Michael Sohn/Pool

(FILES) This file photo taken on November 18, 2017 shows China's Under20 players warming up ahead the friendly football match TSV Schott Mainz vs China's Under-20 team in Mainz, southern Germany. German football authorities have been told to find a compromise with the visiting China Under-20 team over the issue of pro-Tibet protests, or scrap their remaining friendlies. The Chinese junior team is touring southwest Germany as part of an initiative aimed at advancing China's chances at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. / AFP PHOTO / dpa / Hasan Bratic / Germany OUT

Uygur tweets by Mesut Ozil and Sonny Bill Williams prove athletes can use fame for good, Craig Foster says

Former Socceroo Craig Foster speaks at a rally in support of Hakeem al-Araibi in February. Photo: EPA

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Arsenal v Manchester City - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - December 15, 2019 Arsenal's Mesut Ozil and Ainsley Maitland-Niles during the warm up before the match Action Images via Reuters/John Sibley EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details./File Photo

FILE PHOTO: Rugby Union - Rugby World Cup - Bronze Final - New Zealand v Wales - Tokyo Stadium, Tokyo, Japan - November 1, 2019 New Zealand's Sonny Bill Williams celebrates with his daughter after the match REUTERS/Peter Cziborra/File Photo

Sonny Bill Williams follows Mesut Ozil in support for Uygurs on social media

New Zealand's Sonny Bill Williams (centre) and teammates perform the haka before the 2019 Rugby World Cup bronze match. Photo: Reuters

(FILES) This file picture taken on July 19, 2017 shows Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil vying for the ball during the International Champions Cup football match between Bayern Munich and Arsenal in Shanghai. - Mesut Ozil is "Little Wife", Paul Pogba is "Busty" and Jose Mourinho is called "Magic Bird" -- Chinese fans and media have conjured up creative and bizarre nicknames for many of the world's best-known football figures. (Photo by JOHANNES EISELE / AFP) / - China OUT

New Zealand's Sonny Bill Williams (C) tries to evade a tackle from South Africa's Kwagga Smith (L) and Eben Etzebeth during the Rugby Championship match between New Zealand and South Africa at Westpac Stadium in Wellington on July 27, 2019. (Photo by Marty MELVILLE / AFP)

(FILES) In this file photo taken on December 14, 2019 a supporter of China's Muslim Uighur minority holds a placard of Arsenal's Turkish origin German midfielder Mesut Ozil reading "Thanks for being our voice" during a demonstration at Beyazid square in Istanbul. - US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on December 17, 2019 denounced China for its heavy-handed actions against Arsenal over footballer Mesut Ozil's support for incarcerated Uighurs, saying Beijing could not hide reality. Arsenal distanced itself from Ozil but Beijing dropped state television broadcasts of the English Premier League club's Sunday match -- a move that could have major commercial ramifications in the lucrative Chinese market. (Photo by Ozan KOSE / AFP)

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China’s record scorer has disappeared from the Chinese internet after controversial comments on June 4
Someone claiming to be ‘China’s Michael Jordan’ has amassed more than 40,000 Twitter followers



China’s record scorer has disappeared from the Chinese internet after controversial comments on June 4 but someone claiming to be ‘China’s Michael Jordan’ has amassed more than 40,000 Twitter followers.


China’s Communist Party

Guo Wengui

Weibo

Expresses the views, ideas and conclusions of the author. (Eg. Enough of Crazy Rich Asians, think of crazy poor Hongkongers.)


Opinion | Hao Haidong more famous than ever after being airbrushed from history

China’s record scorer has disappeared from the Chinese internet after controversial comments on June 4 Someone claiming to be ‘China’s Michael Jordan’ has amassed more than 40,000 Twitter followers

China’s record scorer has disappeared from the Chinese internet after controversial comments on June 4

Someone claiming to be ‘China’s Michael Jordan’ has amassed more than 40,000 Twitter followers