Master Kang
来自China Digital Space
Kāng Shīfu | 康师傅
Code name for Zhou Yongkang, former public security chief and close ally of fallen Chongqing party secretary Bo Xilai; a popular brand of instant noodles. The kāng 康 in the brand name is the same as in Zhou Yongkang 周永康. Netizens began calling Zhou "Master Kang" in the spring of 2012, when he was reported to be the sole supporter of Bo Xilai on the Politburo Standing Committee. A corruption investigation on Zhou began after his retirement, ending with his conviction and a life sentence meted out at a secret trial in June 2015.
"Master Kang" is simultaneously a historical, political, and pop cultural reference. It is the brand name used by packaged food company Tingyi (Cayman Islands) Holding Corporation, the largest instant noodle producer operating in mainland China. Tingyi markets their products under the English name Master Kong. "Master Kang" is occasionally blocked from Weibo search results, prompting netizens to refer to Zhou Yongkang simply as "instant noodles" (fāngbiànmiàn 方便面).
Master Kang also alludes to Kang Sheng (康生), one of Zhou's predecessors as security chief. A first generation official and close ally to Mao Zedong, Kang was posthumously disgraced and expelled from the Party for his role in the Cultural Revolution and his early criticism of Deng Xiaoping.
