Readers might be forgiven for reading the new closures of popular weblogs as some sort of sign that the Chinese government has something against insightful, acerbic commentary. Not so!

Sure, Massage Milk may be gone, but for near-daily doses of comedy gold, you can always check out Zhang Jia's blog. Zhang, a CPPCC delegate, uses the People's Daily's "Strengthen the Country" blogging platform to keep readers in stitches with his presumably intentional humor. Here's his latest laff riot, in translation:

"About my People's Daily blog"

I'm CPPCC committee member Zhang Jia. Reading between the lines of premier Wen Jiabao's government work report [this weekend], I could feel the compassion and love that this government has for the people. The period covered by the new Eleventh Five-Year Plan places us on the starting line of a race to use scientific development, in tandem with social and economic development; it will also be a time of competing interests. In the face of the coming opportunities and challenges, we must resolve major problems, devote ourselves to systemic innovation, and counteract quid-pro-quo relationships. We must correct the imbalance between the powerful and the weak; and effectively reconcile social problems. I believe that many of our reforms are well motivated at the outset, but become twisted in their execution. I believe that it is because of competing interests, ever-intensifying, which act invisibly against the public interest and use high-blown rhetoric for their own ends.

I'm very happy to be able to communicate with internet users through the People's Daily 'Strengthen the Country' blogging platform. As a CPPCC committee member, one must always remember one's historical responsibility to reflect the interests of the people, to enlighten the people, and to try one's utmost to promote economic development, fairness and rectitude, and societal harmony.

Take that, pornographers, terrorists, and Mr. Wears-Three-Watches, if that is your real name! There's a new gang in town, and they're brutally vaguely honest about pre-approved topics. Consider yourselves resolved.