Drink tea

喝茶 (hē chá): drink tea

Uncle Policeman’s tea party.

New character combining “tea” (茶) with “interrogate” (查).

Euphemism for police interrogation. When invited to “tea,” one is asked about his/her political activities and warned against further involvement. One who has been compelled to attend these tea sessions is said to have been “tea-drinked.”

Read about the experiences of the tea-drinked who had things to say around the time of the 2010 World Expo, the anniversary of Tiananmen, and the Jasmine Revolution.

In July of 2014, author Murong Xuecun issued a “statement of surrender” to Chinese authorities in an expression of solidarity with those who were detained for attending a weekend gathering to mark the 25th anniversary of the June 4th 1989 crackdown. Several days later, the outspoken novelist was asked to tea by the local police in Beijing:

火光微语: @郭玉閃又日 Brother Murong Xuecun “surrendered” himself to the police. Today, he has been summoned for questioning at the Purple Bamboo police station at five in the afternoon. Currently, he is still drinking tea with the police. I am waiting for him at a bar outside the station.

@郭玉閃又日 慕容雪村兄“投案”，今天下午五点半左右紫竹院派出所约谈。现在他还在派出所里面喝茶，我在派出所门口喝酒等他。

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