Sparta

斯巴达 (xīn bā dá): Sparta

"Sparta" in Chinese sounds nearly the same as the shortened form of "18th National Party Congress" (十八大 or "shi ba da"). During the 18th National Party Congress, nine members of the Politburo Standing Committee will be retiring including Hu Jintao.

As the Chinese government has stepped up its censorship efforts across China in anticipation of the power transition, netizens have used the term "Sparta" as a coded reference to the 18th National Party Congress.

Beijing has implemented a number of unprecedented policies in anticipation of the 18th National Party Congress including restricting the sale of kitchen knives and removing handles used to roll down the rear seat windows in taxis. For more information, see here.

The Chinese caption reads, "This is the 18th [National Party] Congress"