The People's Republic of China is widely alleged to engage in censorship, beyond its borders, to both Chinese expatriates and foreign groups. Sensitive topics that have been censored include the political status of Taiwan, human rights in Tibet, Xinjiang internment camps, the persecution of Uyghurs in China, the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre, the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests, the COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China, the Chinese government's COVID-19 pandemic response, the persecution of Falun Gong, and more general issues related to human rights and democracy in China.
Self-censorship is undertaken by foreign companies wishing to do business in mainland China, a growing phenomenon given the country's market size and enormous consumer base. Companies seeking to avoid offending the Chinese regime and Chinese customers have engaged in self-censorship, as well as disciplining of staff that have offended the regime. When pressured by the Chinese regime, some companies have apologized or made statements in support of the regime's policies.
The PRC government pays 50 Cent Party operatives and encourages "Little Pink" nationalist netizens to combat any perceived dissent against its position on Chinese issues, including opposing any foreign expressions of support for protesters or perceived separatist movements, with the country's "Patriotic Education campaign" since the 1990s emphasising the dangers of foreign influence and the country's "century of humiliation" by outside powers.
Censorship of overseas services is also undertaken by companies based in China, such as WeChat and TikTok. Chinese citizens living abroad as well as family residing in China have also been subject to threats to their employment, education, pension, and business opportunities if they engage in expression critical of the Chinese government or its policies. With limited pushback by foreign governments and organisations, these issues have led to growing concern about self-censorship, compelled speech and a chilling effect on free speech in other countries.
Censored topics
Traditionally, foreign companies wishing to do business in China needed to avoid references to "The Three Ts and Two Cs": Tibet, Taiwan, the Tiananmen Square massacre, cult (the CCP's label for Falun Gong), and criticism of the Chinese Communist Party. This included related topics such as the Dalai Lama, who the Chinese government considers a subversive Tibetan "splittist" and opposes any expressions of support from foreign governments or organisations.
In the early 21st century, companies faced potential backlash on a broader range of issues relating to China, such as failing to include Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan as part of China on their websites in violation of the One China Policy. Further sensitive topics include: comments about current General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Xi Jinping's weight, including comparisons to rotund children's character Winnie the Pooh; the Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution, disregard of the Chinese government's nine-dash line in the South China Sea dispute; the internment camps and other human rights abuses against Uyghurs in Xinjiang; expressions of support for the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests, and the government's censorship of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Academia There is growing concern that the Chinese government is trying to silence its critics abroad, particularly in academic settings. Historically, censorship in China was contained within the country's borders, but following the ascension of Xi Jinping to General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party in 2012, the focus has expanded to silencing dissent and criticism abroad, particularly in academia.
There have been a number of incidents of Chinese students studying abroad in Western universities seeking to censor academics or students who espouse views inconsistent with the official Chinese Communist Party position. This includes intimidation and violence against the University of Auckland and University of Queensland protesters demonstrating in support of Hong Kong and Uyghurs, challenging lecturers whose course materials do not follow the One China Policy by listing Hong Kong and Taiwan as separate countries, and tearing down Lennon Walls in support of the Hong Kong democracy movement.
In 2019, the PRC Consul-General in Brisbane, Xu Jie, faced legal proceedings by Drew Pavlou, a student who had organised a demonstration in support of the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests. Pavlou alleged that Jie incited death threats by accusing him of "anti-Chinese separatism". The court dismissed the suit on the basis of diplomatic immunity. Pavlou was later suspended for two years by the university over allegations of discriminatory bullying and harassment of university staff and students, which he claimed was intended to silence his criticism of the university's close links to the PRC and reliance on Chinese student tuition fees.
Academics in British universities teaching on Chinese topics were also warned by the Chinese government to support the Chinese Communist Party or be refused entry to the country. Professors who disregarded the warnings to speak more positively about the CCP have had their visas cancelled which prevents them from doing fieldwork in China. Chinese intelligence agencies have threatened academic freedom at British universities. Sheffield Hallam University was threatened and pressured to stop the publication of research on Uyghur forced labor by Laura Murphy.
American universities have engaged in self-censorship on Chinese issues, including North Carolina State University cancelling a visit by the Dalai Lama in 2009 and University of Maryland Chinese student Yang Shuping apologising after harsh reaction to her commencement speech praising the "fresh air" of democracy and freedom in the United States. In November 2019, Columbia University cancelled a panel on human rights in China titled "Panopticism with Chinese Characteristics: Human rights violations by the Chinese Communist Party and how they affect the world." Panel organizers criticized the university for allegedly compromising academic freedom by acquiescing to undue influence and threats of disturbances.
In March 2021, British Uyghur expert Joanne Smith Finley was sanctioned by China after she referred to the situation in Xinjiang as a genocide in comments given to the Associated Press.
In July 2021, more than 100 winners of the Nobel Prize published an open statement rebuking the Chinese government for pressuring the National Academy of Sciences to rescind a speaking invitation they had extended to Taiwanese Nobel Chemistry Prize winner Yuan T. Lee.
Confucius Institutes
Concerns have been raised about the activities of Chinese government-funded Confucius Institutes in western universities, which are subject to rules set by Beijing-based Hanban that prevent the discussion of sensitive topics including Tibet, Tiananmen Square and Taiwan. Institute learning materials also omit instances of humanitarian catastrophes under the Chinese Communist Party such as the Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution. Foreign Policy has likened Confucius Institutes to the "anaconda in the chandelier"; by their mere presence, they impact what staff and students feel safe discussing which leads to self-censorship. American critics include FBI director Christopher Wray and politicians Seth Moulton, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio.
Human Rights Watch considers the Confucius Institutes to be extensions of the Chinese government that prioritise political loyalty in their hiring decisions.
Concerns arose following the 2014 Braga incident, in which materials for the Hanban-sponsored European Association for Chinese Studies 2014 conference in Braga were stolen and censored on the orders of Xu Lin, Director-General of Hanban and Chief Executive of the Confucius Institute Headquarters. Lin ordered the removal of references to Taiwanese academic institutions on the basis that they were "contrary to Chinese regulations", which The Wall Street Journal described as a "bullying approach to academic freedom". The incident led to a number of universities banning Confucius Institutes from their campuses, including Stockholm University, Copenhagen Business School, Stuttgart Media University, the University of Hohenheim, the University of Lyon, the University of Chicago, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Michigan and McMaster University. Public schools in Toronto and New South Wales have also ceased their involvement in the program.
In 2019, media reports emerged that four of the University of Queensland's courses relating to China had been funded by the local Confucius Institute, with the university's senate ending such deals in May 2019. The university's vice-chancellor, Peter Høj, had previously been a senior consultant to Hanban.
Several Confucius Institute contracts included clauses requiring the host university to follow Confucius Institute Headquarters' edicts on "teaching quality", raising concerns about foreign influence and academic freedom. In 2020, the University of Melbourne and University of Queensland renegotiated their contracts to safeguard teaching autonomy in light of new Federal government laws requiring transparency on foreign influence.
Chinese Students and Scholars Association
The Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA) has branches in various overseas university campuses. Many, though not all, of the associations are partly funded by, and report back to, the local Chinese Embassy. One of the aims of the Association is to "love the motherland". There is a history of branches pressuring their host university to cancel talks relating to Tibet, democracy movements of China, Uyghurs, the Hong Kong protests, and Falun Gong. The CSSA has also been found to put pressure on Chinese students overseas not to criticize the Chinese government.
The McMaster University branch in Canada had its club status revoked in 2019 after coordinating its opposition to a speech by Uyghur activist Rukiye Turdush with the local Chinese consulate, including sending back footage, in violation of student union rules. The University of Adelaide branch was deregistered for failing to follow democratic procedures.
Airlines In 2018, the Civil Aviation Administration of China sent letters to 44 international airlines demanding that they cease referring to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau as separate countries on their websites, or risk being classified as "severely untrustworthy" and subject to sanctions. Despite being criticised by the United States government as "Orwellian nonsense", all airlines complied. In 2020, Taiwan News reported that Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs had convinced 22 airlines to undo the change.
+AirlineDateDetailsAmerican AirlinesJuly 2018The American carrier stopped listing Taiwan as a country on its website.Delta Air LinesJuly 2018The American carrier stopped listing Taiwan as a country on its website.Qantas4 June 2018The Australian carrier announced it would list Taiwan as a Chinese province rather than a separate country on its website, after earlier stating that listing Taiwan and Hong Kong as countries on its website was an "oversight".United AirlinesJuly 2018The American carrier stopped listing Taiwan as a country on its website.
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