Does Sunday school equal Big Brother?

Growing up as a Christian prepared journalist Michael Anti, for the routine monitoring of his email by the Chinese authorities. "I was monitored every day by God,” he said. "You get used to being monitored by the government."

Anti gained renown in 2005 after Microsoft suppressed his blog at the request of the authorities in China. He added that he had recently been to see The Lives of Others, but that life in China is not necessarily the same as life under the Stasi.

"China is just a free country," he said. "You can now set up a company, go abroad and even have sex with girls freely. Only in politics are things not free." Even so he admitted that, "Everyone telephone I regard as monitored by government and every email will be monitored. But I get used to it. Big Brother is watching me, but we get used to it ... Even Confucius told us that we should be careful when we are alone."