The group, citing unnamed sources, said Zheng was convicted of "inciting subversion" through his writings published by overseas-based online news sites that are blocked within China.
But critics say the reach of the state control in cyberspace is almost besides the point, with the new regulations and the convictions more important for the culture of caution they promote.
"The most important problem is self-censorship," Pain said. "There are very few Chinese Internet users who dare to talk about politics knowing they can be caught."
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