BEIJING – Exasperated passengers everywhere have at some point felt like lashing out over the frustrations of modern air travel.  One prominent member of China’s Communist Party acted on that urge recently to the undoubted dismay of airline workers but the delight of many online viewers.

In a video that went viral over the weekend, Yan Linkun, a deputy chairman of a mining company and a member of a Communist Party political advisory body in Yunnan, is seen smashing up a gate counter at Kunming Changshui International Airport.

Shanghai Daily reported that Yan, his wife and two 10-year-old sons missed their 11 a.m. flight to the southern Guangdong city of Shenzhen on Feb. 5. The family was put on another flight at 1 p.m. the following day, only to miss that one as well after they went for breakfast and didn't hear the boarding announcement. 

That’s when hostilities kicked off.

Airport surveillance video leaked to local Chinese media on Friday shows Yan’s reaction to the news that he and his family had missed the second flight.

A minute into the video, Yan pushes against the gate’s glass door. He then slaps his hand on the counter, yells and grabs a computer keyboard and hurls it at the screens.

Yan continues to throw equipment at the counter, and at one point tries to kick down the gate door.  Seemingly immobilized airport security personnel and a growing crowd is seen watching the rampage.

His wife, whose name has not been reported, also gets in on the act, and smashes what appears to be a coffee cup midway through the video.

Despite the tantrum, the Shanghai Daily reported that airport police in Kunming were still investigating to determine whether Yan would face any criminal charges.

The paper also reported that Yan had apologized to the airport’s deputy manager, telling him, “My irrational actions and rudeness have caused some losses to the airport as well as bad effects to the public, so I sincerely apologize to the airport and public. I am willing to compensate."

Yan also explained he and his wife had reacted angrily because they were in a hurry to get their children back to school in time for the end of the New Year holiday, the newspaper reported.

That contrition reportedly wasn’t good enough for his bosses. Yan’s employer, Yunnan Mining Corp., suspended him.

The local Communist People's Political Consultative Conference -- one of the regional advisory boards to China’s ruling Communist Party -- was considering whether to impose some kind of punishment, Shanghai Daily reported.

NBC News tried unsuccessfully to contact Yen and Yunnan Mining Corp. to get their version of events.

On China’s Twitter-like service, Weibo, users were quick to joke about the meltdown and to ask how in the world Yan had ever risen to become a CPPCC member.

“I suggest that Yan smash an airplane next time so that he can show his real power as a CPPCC member!" one sarcastic user wrote.

Others dismissed the tantrum as the privilege of China’s new moneyed elite.

“That's just how a rich man acts,” wrote one user, “He who has wealth speaks louder than others."

New Communist Party boss, Xi Jinping, has taken a tougher stance against Party corruption and poor behavior since taking power late last year.

A series of high profile anti-graft and corruption campaigns have brought down a number of officials across China and approval from mainland Chinese eager to see systemic corruption stamped out.

NBC News’ Grace Huang contributed to this report.

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Carlos Barria / Reuters

A Chinese People's Liberation Army soldier stands guard in front of 'Unit 61398,' a secretive Chinese military unit on the outskirts of Shanghai, on Tuesday. The unit is believed to be behind a series of hacking attacks, a U.S. computer security company said, prompting a strong denial by China and accusations that it was in fact the victim of U.S. hacking.

BEIJING -- China's military on Wednesday responded angrily to accusations by an American computer security company of systematic hacking of U.S. business and military interests, arguing it "lacked technical proof and was "not based on fact."

In a statement published on the Chinese Defense Ministry's website in response to the controversial report by Mandiant Corp., the military denied the charges, arguing the data was not enough to connect the hacking to them.

"The report, in only relying on linking IP address to reach a conclusion the hacking attacks originated from China, lacks technical proof," the ministry wrote in its statement, "Everyone knows that the use of usurped IP addresses to carry out hacking attacks happens on an almost daily basis."

The ministry also argued that there was no globally accepted definition of what constitutes hacking.

"There is still no internationally clear, unified definition of what consists of a 'hacking attack'. There is no legal evidence behind the report subjectively inducing that the everyday gathering of online (information) is online spying."

The Defense Ministry said that China itself is a frequent victim of hacking, a common theme in China's rebuttal of accusations of foul play in cyberspace. The ministry said it had tracked a "considerable number" of attacks against its networks that originated in the United States, but it noted that those intrusions had not been used "as a pretext to accuse the U.S. side [of hacking]."

The statement came a day after Mandiant released an explosive report, first detailed in a New York Times article, that tied a People's Liberation Army unit based in Shanghai to a prolonged and focused campaign of stealing corporate and defense trade secrets.

According to Mandiant, the Chinese hacking unit, believed to be "PLA Unit 61398," employed hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of operatives to raid secure American servers, extracting trade secrets, blueprints, pricing data and other valuable information.

In total, Unit 61398 was said to have pillaged hundreds of terabytes of information from 141 companies -- 115 of which were American -- representing 20 industries in a variety of fields including telecommunications and defense.

The hackers reportedly used techniques such as "spear-phishing" -- using spoof e-mails to trick users into granting access to internal servers -- demonstrating a strong proficiency in English and advanced understanding of computer security and network operations.

China pointed out that its Ministry of Public Security had assisted more than 50 countries and regions in investigating cybercrime cases and that the Beijing had entered into a number of bilateral law enforcement cooperation agreements with those countries to help combat hacking.

The Mandiant report and the media maelstrom around it prompted Chinese state media to lash out at the hacking accusations, though the Chinese-language version of the New York Times story was still blocked in China.

China's typically nationalistic newspaper, Global Times, said Beijing should be more vocal in exposing hacking attacks conducted against China.

"Some officials have been punished for internally reporting that government websites have been hacked and secrets leaked, but almost no details have come out," the paper wrote.

"The Americans really know how to talk this (issue) up. All China can do is concede defeat."

Related: 

Report: Chinese army tied to widespread U.S. hacking

Congress urged to probe Chinese computer espionage

Alexander F. Yuan / AP, file

A parent takes photos of her daughter playing the drums at a children's play area in a shopping mall in Beijing on Jan. 10.

BEIJING -- Parents throughout the world have been known to tell a white lie to cajole dinner into a fussy child or explain the pile of gifts that appears under the Christmas tree as if by magic. 

According to a new study, Chinese parents rank among the biggest fibbers. 

The study in the International Journal of Psychology titled “Instrumental lying by parents in the US and China” found that most respondents -- 84 percent of Americans and 98 percent of Chinese -- admitted that they lied to their children. Chinese parents, however, were far more likely to lie to force changes in behavior, it found.

“A larger proportion of the parents in China reported that they employed instrumental lietelling [sic] to promote behavioral compliance, and a larger proportion approved of this practice, as compared to the parents in the U.S.,” the authors said in the report.

The researchers from the University of San Diego, the University of Toronto and Zhejiang Normal University interviewed 114 American and 85 Chinese parents who had at least one child aged 3 years or older.

The participants were given a list of fibs and asked to report which ones they had told their children.

For example, 68 percent of Chinese respondents reported telling their children, “If you don’t follow me, a kidnapper will come to kidnap you while I’m gone.” Only 18 percent of American respondents made similar claims.

Sixty-one percent of the Chinese parents said they would tell their children, “Finish all your food or you’ll grow up to be short.” Just 10 percent of American parents utilized that particular little white lie.

According to the study, Chinese parents surveyed told 15 out of the 16 “specific instrumental lies” at higher rates than American parents.

More news from China in NBC's Behind the Wall

The only exception was a false claim that there is no more candy in the house, which was reported by 57.5 percent of parents in the United States as compared with 42.9 percent of Chinese parents.

American parents reported using more of what the study calls comparison lies -- untrue statements intended to generate positive feeling or to promote fantasy characters.

Sixty percent of Americans said they would use the line, “That was beautiful piano playing,” even if they thought it sounded terrible. In contrast, 44 percent of Chinese declared they would lie in those circumstances.

The results could be interpreted to mean that Chinese parents are more comfortable lying in general, but the study’s authors said that Chinese parents “made more negative evaluations of children’s lies,” and expressed more negative views than their American counterparts on fibs about fantasy characters like Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy. Indeed, 88 percent of American respondents said they had used the lie, “Santa Claus will come to deliver your present on Christmas Eve.”

The study suggested that the wide acceptance of parental lying among Chinese adults could be driven by a strong desire for social cohesiveness and an emphasis on respect and obedience, according to the authors.

In other words, lying can be an effective tool in socializing children.

Or as one Chinese parent put it, “When teaching children, it is okay to use well-intentioned lies. It can promote positive development and prevent your child from going astray.”

A U.S. security firm has exposed the role of the Chinese military in an overwhelming number of cyber-attacks on U.S. infrastructure, government agencies, and corporations, resulting in the theft of information from military contractors and energy companies. NBC News' Andrea Mitchell discusses the report's findings with Mandiant Vice President Grady Summers and Chris Johnson of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Carlos Barria / Reuters

A general view of 'Unit 61398,' a secretive Chinese military unit on the outskirts of Shanghai on Feb. 19. The unit is believed to be behind a series of hacking attacks, a U.S. computer security company said, prompting a strong denial by China and accusations that it was in fact the victim of U.S. hacking.

BEIJING – A group of hackers linked to the Chinese military has stolen reams of sensitive data from more than 100 prominent American companies and organizations, according to an explosive new report.

“The details we have analyzed during hundreds of investigations convince us that the groups conducting these activities are based primarily in China and that the Chinese Government is aware of them,” U.S. computer-security firm Mandiant Corp. said in a 74-page report released on Tuesday.

The story was first reported by The New York Times.

One group originating from China that Mandiant had been tracking since 2006 and identified in the study as “APT1” allegedly swiped data from 141 companies in 20 industries ranging from aerospace to telecommunications, according to the report. More than 110 of those companies were American, according to Mandiant.

Mandiant said that the data suggests that the hacker group was either working for or sponsored by China’s People’s Liberation Army. Indeed, according to the organization’s information, APT1’s activity originated from a People’s Liberation Army cyberware division known as “Unit 61398.”

“Our research found that People’s Liberation Army (PLA’s) Unit 61398 is similar to APT1 in its mission, capabilities, and resources,” it said, according to the report.  “PLA Unit 61398 is also located in precisely the same area from which APT1 activity appears to originate.”

Mandiant said that the hacking originated from a drab 12-story office building on the outskirts of Shanghai. Hundreds, maybe even thousands, of operatives performed covert corporate espionage and extracted trade secrets, blueprints, pricing data and other corporate information from countless American servers from the innocuous tower, according to Mandiant.

The hackers used techniques like “spear-phishing” -- using spoof emails to trick users into granting access to internal servers --demonstrating a strong proficiency in the English language and advanced understanding of computer security and network operations, the organization said.

Media blackout
Though the story exploded on Twitter and in the foreign news media, it has hardly made any waves in China. Twitter has long been blocked in the country and foreign media companies that broadcast on the mainland like CNN were blacked out when the report was mentioned on air. 

Coverage of Mandiant’s report was also absent from Chinese news websites, but some discussion of the report could still be found on China’s Twitter-like service, Weibo.

“Chinese hackers are so capable! I always thought Americans are very powerful!” exclaimed one user.

“Reports by foreign media cannot be fully trusted,” warned another user, “but there must be something.”

Related: Wall Street Journal infiltrated by Chinese hackers

This was a sentiment partly shared by China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Hong Lei, who responded today to questions about the hacking report by calling them “groundless” and reiterating the government’s unwavering position on the matter.

“To make groundless accusations based on some rough material is neither responsible nor professional,” he said, before noting that China was also the victim of hacking attacks.

Hong also argued that the new evidence provided by Mandiant and the New York Times will not withstand closer scrutiny.

But China’s cyber activities have been under increasingly closer scrutiny in recent weeks, as a slew of news stories have come out about Beijing’s reported hacking ambitions. Last month, the New York Times reported that its own servers had been attacked by hackers originating in China, possibly in response to an embarrassing expose it published showing the hidden riches of out-going Chinese premier, Wen Jiabao.

While the White House has largely remained silent on the hacking issue -- President Barack Obama mentioned hacking in his State of the Union but did not specifically cite China -- the government has been noticeably increasing efforts to strengthen cyber security.

Last week Obama issued an Executive Order calling for the improving of critical infrastructure tied to cyber security. That the move came on the eve of the publication of two similar exposes -- last week Bloomberg printed another story demonstrating PLA hacking of American systems -- suggests the administration could be taking a long called for tougher stance on Chinese hacking by “naming and shaming” known mainland hacking groups.  

NBC News' Le Li contributed to this report.

Related:

Congress urged to probe Chinese cyber-espionage

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News analysis

SEOUL, South Korea — As North Korea's biggest political ally and benefactor, China would appear to hold all the cards when it comes to reining in Kim Jong Un's regime.

However, its response to Pyongyang's latest nuclear test was rather muted Tuesday.

Beijing's foreign minister summoned North Korea's ambassador for a dressing down and sternly expressed "strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition" to the test.

As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, Beijing will also join in a meeting set for later this week to discuss how best to respond to the nuclear test. But it remains unclear if Beijing will support tougher new sanctions, or that any new round of UN sanctions or resolutions will have much impact on the reclusive nation's actions.

Since the 1950-1953 Korean War, North Korea has been subjected to an array of multinational and unilateral sanctions by the international community. The country's leaders have responded to the isolation by focusing even more intently on developing sophisticated weapons and rocket programs that have simultaneously infuriated regional neighbors and drawn them to the negotiating table.

White House: North Korea nuclear test 'highly provocative'

Many regional observers have suggested that international sanctions are doomed to failure as long as Beijing continues to prop up and sustain its neighbor through aid and investment.

Chinatopix via AP

North Korean soldiers stand guard on the river bank of the North Korean town of Sinuiju, opposite the Chinese border city of Dandong on Tuesday.

Indeed, over the years China has staunchly supported North Korea on the international field, arguing that individual countries have the right to develop rocket programs that were scientific in nature and helping to derail stiffer sanctions against North Korea by the UN.

Last month's surprise announcement that China had joined in with the rest of the UN Security Council in condemning North Korea's latest rocket test seemed to represent a shift in its way of engaging with its neighbor, and long-time Communist comrade. However, it later emerged that China had worked hard to block any new sanctions.

The Associated Press noted:

Despite being the North's biggest source of aid and diplomatic support, Beijing has been reluctant to back more severe measures that could destabilize the North's hardline regime, which serves as a buffer between China and democratic South Korea backed by U.S. forces. 

In the weeks leading up to Tuesday's nuclear test, it has been widely reported that China had been working behind the scenes with North Korea to halt the test and suspend their nuclear program.

Officially, China's Foreign Ministry has maintained steady support for North Korea by lamely calling for peace on the Korean peninsula and greater engagement by all parties.

But in China's state-run media, the frustration towards North Korea has become obvious.

A strongly worded opinion piece last week in the typically nationalistic Chinese newspaper, Global Times, called on China's ruling Communist Party to take a tougher stance on North Korea provocations.

"If North Korea insists on a third nuclear test despite attempts to dissuade it, it must pay a heavy price," the paper said, effectively calling for an end to Chinese economic aid to the struggling country as punishment.

The Global Times certainly does not reflect official Chinese policy; state censors tend to give greater latitude to papers like the Global Times, using such media as a spigot from which to turn nationalist sentiment on and off while also gauging popular opinion. But it could indicate the direction China may be prepared to go to ensure stability on its borders.

Although tougher economic sanctions backed by China might cause Kim and his generals to reconsider their drive for more sophisticated nuclear devices, the move could also alienate Pyongyang and create a nuclear-armed rival on its doorstep.

Ed Jones / AFP-Getty Images

A North Korean flag flies above the North Korean Embassy in Beijing on Tuesday.

It is for this reason — and the fact that China's leadership transition is not yet complete, with Xi Jinping still not formally president until June —that Beijing's reaction to North Korea transgressions will likely remain subdued.

It appears likely that China will join the Security Council this week in condemning the North Koreans for this nuclear test, but it remains unclear which way Beijing will fall on stronger sanctions.

Their decision could finally shed some light on the opaque political calculus that Beijing uses in dealing with its wayward old ally North Korea.

Related:

North Korea propaganda video shows US city in flames

China state media: N. Korea would pay 'heavy price' for nuclear test

Show of force: US, South Korea hold naval drills

AFP - Getty Images

A salesman holds a gold coin with a snake image on it to mark the upcoming year of the snake in a gold shop in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang province, Thursday.

BEIJING -– Chinese New Year is just days away and, as hundreds of millions of people across China head back home in record numbers to ring in the Year of the Snake, many are eager to see what lies ahead.

Enter the Feng Shui master.

Though some in China see Feng Shui and astrological horoscopes as a fun novelty exercise in mysticism, for others Feng Shui masters are an essential consultant on any and all matters -– whether they be financial, political or romantic.

Some trusted experts are reputed to pull in tens of thousands of dollars in commissions for each consultation from superstitious individuals and even companies wanting to peer into their murky futures.

Feng Shui master Chen Shuaifu’s credentials are top-notch.

The 60-year old has been a stalwart of the industry for years and serves as chairman of the Chinese Feng Shui Association, which has more than 50,000 members.

In 2012, Chen gave us his predictions for the Year of the Dragon, which included an auspicious year for those born in the Year of the Snake -- such as 1929, 1953, 1977 and 2001 -- like Xi Jinping, born 1953, who has since risen to head of the Communist Party and will formally become president of China at next month’s National People’s Congress.

He also urged those born in the Year of the Dog -- including 1958, 1982 and 2006 -- to postpone life decisions, small consolation to Rick Santorum, born 1958, whose presidential campaign folded last year.

Chen has been fielding calls all month from believers to get his thoughts and predictions for 2013.

Chinatopix/AP

Passengers wait for their buses in Shanghai Friday as millions of Chinese make their way for family reunions ahead of the Chinese New Year.

Bad news for pigs
Getting the bad news out of the way right off the bat, Chen predicted a terrible year for those born in the Year of the Pig, which fell on 1959, 1983 and 1995, among other years. 

“Snakes and pigs clash and don’t get along,” Chen explained. “If the pig doesn’t have bad luck, then his or her family will suffer the ill fortune.”

A year after he predicted the Year of the Dragon would be a prosperous year for snakes -- “snakes grow up to become dragons,” Chen sagely told NBC News last year -- this time he forecast a down year for serpents.

Traditionally, one does not have good luck in the year of his Chinese astrological sign.

Ever the politician, though, Chen predicted that the snake’s poison would not fell Xi.

“The emperor is not affected by this bad luck,” noted Chen.

For pigs and every other snake except Xi, Chen strongly urges that they consult a Feng Shui master and consider dedicating a part of their home to Tai sui, celestial generals appointed by the Jade Emperor -- the ruler of heaven and all other realms -- to oversee the matters of mankind.

Perhaps most ominously for some, Chen declared 2013, the “year of the widow” warning that many “marriages will die” and that the divorce rate will be higher than normal.

To counterbalance the dark negativity surrounding troubled marriages, Chen recommended that homes be decorated in red as much as possible.

“In China, a city develops faster if it has more red colors,” Chen said, “It is the same all over the world. So try to use red colors as much as possible.”

Good times for roosters, monkeys
Despite his ominous predictions for current marriages, Chen had good news for those planning to get married: Do it.

“Tradition and experience tells us that it’s good to get married on the year when China changes leaders,” Chen said. “It is also a good time to have babies if you are planning.”

Others poised for a good year are those born in the Year of the Ox --  such as 1961, 1973, 1985 and 1997; Rooster -- including 1933, 1957, 1981 and 2005; and Monkey -- such as 1956, 1968, 1980 and 1992. The monkey is said to be the only animal clever enough to handle the snake.

And for entrepreneurs looking for the next big thing to invest in, Chen strongly urged them to look at Internet companies.

“The most successful businesses this year will be e-business,” he said. “Think Alibaba or Amazon.”

Chen made a range of other predictions for 2013, including:

• 2013 should bring rapid economic development for China with GDP growth of 9%. Like last year, though, Chen has little faith in the mainland’s real estate market, despite signs that it’s heating up again.
• Sino-U.S. relations will be healthier than many people expect. “It’s hard to hurt America and it’s even harder to hurt China,” says Chen, who doesn’t expect either country will want to test that belief.
• Ever the nationalist, Chen predicted peace between China and Japan over the Diaoyu/Senkaku islands dispute, but not for the reasons you may think: “If Japan dares to fire the first bullet, China has the power to fight against it until China recaptures the Diaoyu islands,” Chen declared. “So everything will be quite smooth between Japan and China.”

Eric Baculinao and Le Li contributed to this report.

On behalf of all us at Behind the Wall, thanks for reading and best wishes for a happy Chinese New Year and prosperous Year of the Snake.

Ashwini Bhatia / AP

Exiled Tibetan Buddhist monks walk past a banner of photos of Tibetan protesters as they participate in a candlelit vigil organized by the Tibetan parliament in exile in Dharmsala, India, on Thursday.

Chinese authorities detained 70 people in ethnically Tibetan areas Thursday in a bid to crack down on the gruesome spectacle of people setting themselves on fire to protest Chinese rule, state media said.

The operation, the largest of its kind yet reported by Beijing, is part of an intensifying effort to quell the fiery protests. It comes on the heels of a documentary released in China that blames Westerners, particularly Voice of America, for encouraging people to set themselves on fire and then treating those who do as heroes.

Nearly 100 people have set themselves alight since 2009 to protest Chinese rule, and most of them have died from their injuries.

Twelve of the 70 people detained Thursday were officially arrested in connection with self-immolation cases in what China calls the Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province deputy police chief Lyu Bengqian said, according to state media.

Lyu is head of a special police team investigating self-immolation cases. He said efforts would be stepped up to investigate the protests and to "seriously punish" anyone seen as inciting them.

China blames the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader in exile, as well as the West for the increase in self-immolations.

The U.S. State Department has been critical of the recent arrests.

In her Feb. 1 news briefing, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland criticized China's Tibet policies, in particular the heavy sentencing in January of a Tibetan monk and his nephew, who were charged with inciting eight people to set themselves on fire.

"We continue both publicly and privately to urge the Chinese government at all levels to address policies in Tibet -- in Tibetan areas -- that have created tensions and that threaten the distinct religious, cultural and linguistic identity of the Tibetan people."

On Wednesday, Voice of America shot back at China's assertion that it had encouraged Tibetans to set themselves on fire.

"That is totally false," Voice of America Director David Ensor said in a news release. "We do report these tragic stories; we do not encourage these self-immolations, that is wrong."

CCTV, the Chinese state broadcaster, produced and aired a documentary that pointed fingers at Voice of America, which is the U.S. government's official broadcaster overseas.

The program showed a Tibetan man in a hospital bed who allegedly attempted to self-immolate.

Apparently prompted to explain why he had attempted to light himself on fire, the man said, "I did it after watching VOA, I saw the photographs of self-immolators being commemorated. They were treated like heroes."

The documentary also sensationally accuses VOA of employing secret codes to send messages to people inside Tibet.

"That is one of the more amazing parts of the CCTV report," Ensor said. "That suggestion is totally absurd."

VOA is asking that both CCTV and the China Daily retract their reports.

Related:

Documentary alleges US broadcaster incites self-immolations

Resounding silence as Chinese dissident wins US award

Eugene Hoshiko / AP

Chinese workers set up decorations for the upcoming Chinese New Year in Dandong, China, on Tuesday. Dandong is located across the Yalu river from the North Korean town of Sinuiju.

Published at 10:35 a.m. ET: BEIJING – It remains unclear just when, if ever, North Korea will attempt its controversial third nuclear test, but there are growing signs that the reclusive nation's biggest political ally is growing weary of its behavior.

A strongly worded editorial in China's state-run Global Times newspaper Wednesday called on Beijing to get tough with Pyongyang if it conducts a nuclear test.

"If North Korea insists on a third nuclear test despite attempts to dissuade it, it must pay a heavy price," the paper said. It called on China to cut economic aid to the struggling country as punishment.

The editorial also restated a popular opinion held by many Chinese experts that friction between North Korea and its regional neighbors was opening China up to diplomatic attack from players such as the United States.

"Some believe the U.S., Japan and South Korea are attempting to foment discord between China and North Korea," the editorial warned. "Such a trap may be real, but China shouldn't be taken hostage by North Korea's extreme actions in order to avoid such a trap."

Addressing concerns that a harsh response to North Korea's nuclear test would cause Pyongyang to turn on its long-time ally, the paper argued that even if the reclusive nation was to turn completely on China and side with the U.S., there would be "no serious ramifications."

In the Global Times' view, China's increasing political and economic clout would negate such newfound hostility.

"China is never afraid of Pyongyang," the paper declared. "If Pyongyang gets tough with China, China should strike back hard, even at the cost of deteriorating bilateral relations."

Despite the tough talk, China's Foreign Ministry maintained its official position on North Korea, expressing concern about the situation and calling for more engagement between the embattled parties.

"China is extremely concerned by the way things are going," spokeswoman Hua Chunying said. "We oppose any behavior which may exacerbate the situation and any acts which are not beneficial towards the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

"We call on all the relevant sides to remain calm and exercise restraint and earnestly work hard to maintain peace and stability in the Korean peninsula," she added.

The Global Times, a hard-line state-owned newspaper, has long taken a strong nationalist bent in its opinions, which while tacitly allowed by state censors, does not always reflect the official position of the government.

"Many people outside of China think that the Global Times is the official voice of the Chinese government," said Wang Junsheng, a North Korea researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Science. "But the paper is mostly commercial and doesn't represent the government's official point of view."

That isn't to say that the Global Times' editorials aren't representative of the views of many Chinese and Communist Party officials.

But such editorials help Beijing to gauge public opinion within China while also serving as an effective safety valve with which the Communist Party can ratchet up and ease nationalism when needed.

Slideshow: Journey into North Korea

David Guttenfelder / AP

In this March 9, 2011 photo, a girl plays the piano inside the Changgwang Elementary School in Pyongyang, North Korea. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)

Launch slideshow

Zhang Liangui, professor of international strategic research at the Party School of the China Communist Party Central Committee, believes that in this case, the editor accurately conveyed public opinion in China on the North Korea question.

"This article only represents a reporter's point of view, but I think he really expressed what many people in China are thinking must be done," Zhang said.

Like the editorial, Zhang argues that China should take a stand against the nuclear test and that China should take the additional step of enforcing sanctions on North Korea should the test go ahead.

"If North Korea performs this test, it is necessary for North Korea to pay a price," Zhang said. "North Korea is a small country and is very close to China, so the nuclear test will have an impact on China's security."

NBC News' Le Li contributed to this report.

Related:

North Korea propaganda video shows an American city in flames

Show of force: US, South Korea hold naval drills amid North's nuclear threats

North Korea's propaganda poets stay true to their muse despite world's laughter

The coffee shop is modeled after the familiar set from the NBC series, right down to the instantly recognizable oversize orange couch. And while customers may not get to see Chandler, Joey or Phoebe, they will get served by “Rachel,” since all the servers go by that name.

"I'm crazy about ‘Friends,’” the shop’s owner, Du Xin, told TODAY. How obsessed is he with the show? Du goes by the nickname Gunther, which was the name of the bleached-blond owner of the fictitious Central Perk who pined for Rachel (played by Jennifer Aniston) on the NBC sitcom.

“Friends” aired from 1994 to 2004, and Du said he has watched all 236 episodes repeatedly. The show runs on a continual loop on his shop’s large-screen television and serves as a learning tool for people interested in mastering colloquial English.

The café’s menu is inspired by items served on the show, including the infamous “stolen cheesecake” from season seven.

“A lot of people know cheesecake from ‘Friends’ in China,” Du said.

Many of the shop’s patrons may be too young to remember when the shows originally aired, but like a good cup of coffee, they savor the strong friendships forged in the series, and view the show’s characters as lifestyle guides.

“We admire their lifestyle very much. We want to be like the characters in the show,” one patron explained to TODAY.

There have even been five marriage proposals in the Beijing Central Perk, inspired by the episode in which Monica famously proposed to Chandler.

The popularity of the café prompted Du to recently open a second Central Perk location in Shanghai.

BEIJING – A 13-month-old child was fatally crushed by a car containing Chinese officials after they went to collect a fine from the parents for breaching the country’s one-child policy, according to Chinese state media.

The incident reportedly occurred Monday in Dongshantou village near Wenzhou city in the eastern province of Zhejiang, after a delegation of 11 officials from the Ruian Town birth control office drove out to get the unspecified fine.

This did not go down well with the father, Chen Liandi, 39, and the conversation got heated.

According to a briefing given by the Ruian Municipal Propaganda Department and reported by state media, the officials convinced Chen’s wife, Li Yuhong, to accompany them back to Ruian to talk over the couple’s options.

The baby was reportedly left in the hands of his father and the group got back into their cars to leave.

What happened next remains unclear – perhaps due to the politically sensitive nature of this story – but the boy was then found crushed underneath a car.      

He was rushed to the Third People’s Hospital in Ruian, but could not be saved.

'You were too careless'
On China’s Twitter-like service, Weibo, users expressed frustration over the vague account given by Ruian officials and demanded more information, but no other Chinese press have printed much beyond the official government account.

For many in China, the story brings back uncomfortable memories of Feng Jiemei, who last June posted gruesome photographs of her lying in a hospital bed next to her 7-month-old aborted fetus.

Feng’s story created a social firestorm for Beijing when word got out that the 22-year-old mother had been forced to have the abortion because she did not have enough money to pay the $6,400 fine for having a second child.

“I told you, $6,400, not even a penny less. I told your dad that and he said he has no money,” a family planning official wrote to Deng in a blunt text message that quickly went viral. “You were too careless, you didn’t think this was a big deal.”

Feng was grabbed from her home and taken to a local hospital in her native Shaanxi province where she was blindfolded, thrown on a bed and forced to a sign a document she couldn’t read. Thirty hours later, her baby girl was aborted.

China has long defended its one-child policy as a way to prevent overpopulation and to help raise living standards across the country.

However, some experts in China and abroad argue that the policy has outlived its usefulness and may instead be a detriment to future growth.

Others in China have pointed out the abuses meted out in cases like Feng Jiemei’s show that it causes more social harm and have called on Beijing to remove it.

However Beijing just last month reaffirmed its support for the policy.

NBC News’ Le Li contributed to this report.

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