The wages for Chinese state-sponsored online commentators have appeared to have dropped from 50 yuan cents (US$ 0.07) per post to 20 yuan cents amid economic challenges.

Chinese trolls are often said to be paid by the government to spread propaganda. Their standard pay is believed to be 50 yuan cents per post and hence their name of “Wumao Dang”, or “50 Cent Party.”

However, they may struggle to keep their name as their pay has apparently dropped. According to an online advertisement looking for people to write “commentaries,” successful applicants would be paid 20 yuan cents for a 20-word piece and 30 yuan cents for a 40-word one.

Candidates should be good at “assuming different identities, commenting from various angles and writing in a diverse range of styles,” it said.

This came as Chinese Premier Li Keqiang called on authorities to watch their expenses amid the ongoing trade war and coronavirus pandemic.

Netizens seem to be unsympathetic on Weibo — the Chinese Twitter equivalent. One said, “Because of the economic downturn, the ‘50 Cent Party’ has been downgraded to ‘20 Cent Party!’”

Lew Mon-hung, a former member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference’s national committee, said people would still take on the job despite the pay drop because many would place money before conscience.

“They are the regime’s dog, a tool being used to rule the country by lies,” he said.

Lew said the decrease in wages for trolls reflected the corruption of the Chinese political scene. Those who are no longer useful to the party would be abandoned, he added.

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