China steps up censorship for Trump inauguration

[Blablurn]

ft.com
China steps up censorship for Trump inauguration
15 minutes ago by: Tom Hancock in Shanghai

Beijing censors have ordered media outlets to tone down their reporting of Donald Trump’s inauguration as US president, as the Communist party weighs its response to a new administration that threatens to tear up the rule book of US-China relations.


Propaganda officials have ordered the press only to use reports on the ceremony written by central state media, according to several Chinese journalists.

“It is forbidden for websites to carry out live streaming or picture reports of the inauguration,” a copy of censorship instructions seen by the Financial Times said.

Internet media outlets should not give the event top billing on their homepages, the instructions add, reminding them to “take care of news comments . . . and negative and harmful speech”. Similar orders are common ahead of major world news events but analysts said in this case they reflected uncertainty in Beijing over how to handle public perceptions of Mr Trump.

The instructions apparently also extend to English-language outlets. “Wasn’t allowed to discuss Trump today on my radio show, he’s now an official sensitive topic, Elyse Ribbons, an American who hosts a programme on Chinese state-run radio, said on Twitter on Thursday, adding: “Chinese leadership still trying to figure him out (sigh)”.

Mr Trump has suggested abandoning the “One China” policy that has been the bedrock of US-China relations for decades, in order to use the island’s status as a bargaining chip in negotiations over Beijing’s alleged currency manipulation and its island-building in the South China Sea.

Last week Trump’s pick for secretary of state Rex Tillerson set the stage for a major diplomatic — and possibly military — clash by saying China should not be allowed to access artificial islands it has built in the South China Sea.

Beijing lodged a formal complaint with Washington after Mr Trump broke with decades of diplomatic precedent by speaking on the phone with Taiwan’s leader Tsai Ing-wen. But it has taken a muted response to other remarks by Mr Trump.

China’s tightly controlled media often portrays Washington as a hostile power attempting to curtail China’s rise. At the same time authorities are struggling to rein in increasingly nationalist voices on the internet.

“Trump is very different kind of president than Obama. He has a less friendly attitude . . . he’s unpredictable,” said Zhan Jiang, a professor of international news at Beijing Foreign Studies University. “The government is still working out how to react to him, which is why in this case they are taking very close control of the media for this event.”

Early state media reports highlighted the ceremony’s expense, pricing it at more than $100m. The information office of the State Council, China’s cabinet, tweeted in English: “How much does #Trump’s #inauguration cost? The number must be staggering”.

Twitter: @hancocktom


Source: https://www.ft.com/content/204e38a0...ks/rss/world_asia-pacific_china/feed//product

China is being very careful. Apparently a Taiwanese delegation will attend the ceremony. I wonder how they will react to this.

 

[QuantumBro]

That's not censorship, it's protesting.

 

[The Technomancer]

I'm in China right now

All of the people we work with are amazed we elected him and find it kind of funny

 

[UnemployedVillain]

Edit: Yeah, it was an incredibly dumb comment

 

[Familienoberhauptvogel]

I'm not sure where I'm supposed to stand on this issue. If it were up to me the US wouldn't officially exist for the next 4 years.

 

[Hypnotoad]

China is being very careful. Apparently a Taiwanese delegation will attend the ceremony. I wonder how they will react to this.

That is nothing new, Taiwanese delegations have attended inaugurations before. It's just China being pissed at Chai and Trump being elected, so they ramp up their verbal protests.

 

[Aaronology]

Concerns about censorship aside, I think not devoting an insane amount of air time to the type of person who thrives off of attention like fire with oxygen seems like a common sense, cautious approach. I don't have an immediate problem with it. If only US media was as concerned about the effect giving Trump 24/7 air time instead of their perpetual hunt for ratings.

 

[Smiley90]

I'm in China right now

All of the people we work with are amazed we elected him and find it kind of funny

This mixed with sheer "are you fucking stupid?" is the reaction anywhere in the world, not just China.

 

[VeeP]

I'm in China right now

All of the people we work with are amazed we elected him and find it kind of funny

Didn't China want trump to be elected originally?

 

[John Rabbit]

That's not censorship, it's protesting.

Pretty sure "forbidding" press coverage outside of state-sanctioned material is in fact, censorship.

Trump might be an unmitigated disaster of a leader, but let's not start giving China a free-pass just because of it.

 

[chrisPjelly]

That's not censorship, it's protesting.

Don't you mean rioting . #fakecountry #liberalchina



In seriousness, I don't know what they expect to achieve by censoring. I'd figure just unedited footage and quotes would be enough to have people against him.

 

[mozfan12]

I listened to NPR today and the exact opposite is happening in Russia. They said that they are actually selling Trump memorabilia over there.

 

[NoblesseOblige]

Step up your hacking game China and get to digging up more on Trump. Then since we're cool with our elections getting hijacked go ahead and turn the house/senate against Trump in 2018.

 

[Syncytia]

I'm in China right now

All of the people we work with are amazed we elected him and find it kind of funny

I nearly moved overseas about a year ago.

I honestly don't know if I would be happy to be living somewhere else or too embarrassed.

 

[Hypnotoad]

In seriousness, I don't know what they expect to achieve by censoring. I'd figure just unedited footage and quotes would be enough to have people against him.

My totally anecdotal impression is that the world leader Chinese mainlanders most admire is Vladimir Putin. I have asked hundreds of people over the years, he is the usual top answer. They have a fable for nationalist strong man and Trumpish "rhetorics". Most whom I asked also strongly agree with building the wall.

 

[Madness]

I can't believe I'm actually agreeing with China's decision to censor

Well then you are an idiot. It is not like Trump isn't the 45th President of the United States in just a few hours. But no, you like that an authoritarian and brutal government that has been one of the world's most repressive regimes still likes to use propaganda and control over its citizens just because you hate Trump that much. No government should dictate what their citizens can read or learn on their own.

Did you also like when Apple was forced to remove the New York Times app from the App store in China?

At the same time authorities are struggling to rein in increasingly nationalist voices on the internet.

This is also from the article. What is funny is the government themselves has created the nationalism. Read some chinese media articles on the stealing of land in the south china sea. Look at how Mainland netizens react versus almost every other nation on earth. When the Daiyou/Senkaku island issued happened with Japan, the Chinese government created games like plant the chinese flag on the island to show your support and then pretended to try and rein the nationalistic fervor when mainlanders started torching and smashing Japanese vehicles on streets in anger.

China is no different than NK in this regard. You'll see soon.

 

[Avixph]

I listened to NPR today and the exact opposite is happening in Russia. They said that they are actually selling Trump memorabilia over there.

Wow.

 

[Amalthea]

Why would they? Anything that will happen can be nothing but anti-American propaganda.

 

[Hypnotoad]

I can't believe I'm actually agreeing with China's decision to censor

Freedom of speech is important, unless I disagree with it.

 

[chillybright]

Didn't China want trump to be elected originally?

Where did you get this?

 

[Joni]

I'm also pretending Trump didn't get elected.

 

[chillybright]

Also they do this every time when there is something slightly significant happens. Minister of propaganda in China is a well oiled machine that dictates what gets reported and how every single day. This is hardly unique to Trump or his inauguration. Hell you can't search Kim the Fatty in China.

I guess this made the news in the US is only because Trump-china topic is so hot right now.

 

[Joyful]

I'm also pretending Trump didn't get elected.

..

 

[Joni]

..

Trump is however a problem I can't fix.

 

[Fercho-Kyzer]

Not cool about the censorship. It will be better to tell their citizens to not watch it and rise awareness of the kind of person Trump is.

It will be hilarious that the new axis of evil turns out to be USA, England and Russia, with Germany, China and Iran as the allies LOL

 

[Izuna]

No government should dictate what their citizens can read or learn on their own.

This isn't always true.

But I mean, this isn't total censorship, but a restriction on reporting. All this constant Trump is having an effect around the world in a net negative way.

 

[jerry113]

I mean, half of the stuff coming out of Trump's mouth will literally be fake news. I don't have a problem with this.

 

[WaterAstro]

I wish America could censor Trump out.

 

[Lambtron]

I listened to NPR today and the exact opposite is happening in Russia. They said that they are actually selling Trump memorabilia over there.

🤔

 

[Chaos2Frozen]

I'm in China right now

All of the people we work with are amazed we elected him and find it kind of funny

This mixed with sheer "are you fucking stupid?" is the reaction anywhere in the world, not just China.

I can vouch for this. I'll never forget the day I over heard primary school children asking "Why does America want to vote for him?"

Primary. School. Children. Even kids could tell this is stupid.

 

[jorma]

That's not censorship, it's protesting.

 

[Aranath]

I can vouch for this. I'll never forget the day I over heard primary school children asking "Why does America want to vote for him?"

Primary. School. Children. Even kids could tell this is stupid.

I had the exact same thing happen with my English students here in Spain. Kids and young teens just confused as all hell that someone so awful is going to be president after Obama, who they've grown up with as being POTUS.

 

[chillybright]

I can vouch for this. I'll never forget the day I over heard primary school children asking "Why does America want to vote for him?"

Primary. School. Children. Even kids could tell this is stupid.

I don't believe you.gif

Primary school kids in China won't know what a vote is. That word would literally have not occured to them.

 

[UnemployedVillain]

Well then you are an idiot. It is not like Trump isn't the 45th President of the United States in just a few hours. But no, you like that an authoritarian and brutal government that has been one of the world's most repressive regimes still likes to use propaganda and control over its citizens just because you hate Trump that much. No government should dictate what their citizens can read or learn on their own.

Freedom of speech is important, unless I disagree with it.

Yeah, you got me there. So straight up censorship/filtering by a state run organization is obviously a deplorable thing. Opinions, no matter how deplorable they are, should still be allowed to exist and be heard. I think it was more a gut reaction to what I perceived as the underlying sentiment behind the action. I'm probably being a bit too optimistic about their intentions, but I do think something needs to be done to curb the presence and power of incendiary, dangerous figures. Now I don't think Trump is stupid enough to go on about building walls, and deporting Muslims during his inauguration, but it'd be nice if it was presenting in terms of all the negativity his presidency has promised, and is showing signs (from his Cabinet appointments) of bringing. I don't think you can force that opinion on people if they don't believe it, but if presented objectively, that's what he is (and yes, I realize censorship is at complete odds with objectivity)

 

[chillybright]

Also lmao @ posters in this thread even considering the likelihood that China does this to filter out Trump's "horrible opinions".

Censorship in China regarding international news does precisely one thing and one thing only: convince citizens that "western democracy and institutions" is horrible, even evil, and ultimately inferior than what we have now. You are fortunate to be born in China and lead by our communist party, and should be grateful that you didn't end up in that western shithole.

 

[Chaos2Frozen]

I don't believe you.gif

Primary school kids in China won't know what a vote is. That word would literally have not occured to them.

Not China. In Singapore.

Was referring more to Smiley's "This mixed with sheer "are you fucking stupid?" is the reaction anywhere in the world, not just China."

 

[O Canada Our Home and Native Land]

This is the kind of shit that makes china bad. Some of you are letting your hate of Trump and the right screw with your moral compass.

 

[devilhawk]

I suggest everyone search for articles dated, oh, Jan 21, 2009 about Chinese censorship of inauguration speeches.

 

[Cartman86]

This isn't always true.

But I mean, this isn't total censorship, but a restriction on reporting. All this constant Trump is having an effect around the world in a net negative way.

What...

 

[chrislowe]

Censorship just like the old nazis did with people.

 

[EGM1966]

How I wish I was in China today. Normally I'd be against censorship but it seems there really is an exception for every rule.

 

[always crazy bacon]

Well then you are an idiot. It is not like Trump isn't the 45th President of the United States in just a few hours. But no, you like that an authoritarian and brutal government that has been one of the world's most repressive regimes still likes to use propaganda and control over its citizens just because you hate Trump that much. No government should dictate what their citizens can read or learn on their own.

Did you also like when Apple was forced to remove the New York Times app from the App store in China?



This is also from the article. What is funny is the government themselves has created the nationalism. Read some chinese media articles on the stealing of land in the south china sea. Look at how Mainland netizens react versus almost every other nation on earth. When the Daiyou/Senkaku island issued happened with Japan, the Chinese government created games like plant the chinese flag on the island to show your support and then pretended to try and rein the nationalistic fervor when mainlanders started torching and smashing Japanese vehicles on streets in anger.

China is no different than NK in this regard. You'll see soon.

Have you ever been to China?

 

[Rentahamster]

I can't believe I'm actually agreeing with China's decision to censor

I hope you're joking.

Didn't China want trump to be elected originally?

....what?

This is the kind of shit that makes china bad. Some of you are letting your hate of Trump and the right screw with your moral compass.

Indeed.

Travelling around Asia recently, I've met some people who are actually glad that Trump is sticking it in China's ear.

 

[Izuna]

What...

Before I reply, which part are what whatting to?

 

[KimiNewt]

That's not censorship, it's protesting.

wut

 

[DBT85]

I'm in China right now

All of the people we work with are amazed we elected him and find it kind of funny

You get that this is the same reaction everywhere with a possible exception of Russia, right?

 

[Familienoberhauptvogel]

Well then you are an idiot. It is not like Trump isn't the 45th President of the United States in just a few hours. But no, you like that an authoritarian and brutal government that has been one of the world's most repressive regimes still likes to use propaganda and control over its citizens just because you hate Trump that much. No government should dictate what their citizens can read or learn on their own.

Uh that's what the whole confidentiality is for. Stuff you're not allowed to read or otherwise learn for various reasons.

 

[Chaos2Frozen]

Travelling around Asia recently, I've met some people who are actually glad that Trump is sticking it in China's ear.

They won't be so happy when their economy tanks from this feud.

You get that this is the same reaction everywhere with a possible exception of Russia, right?

And North Korea, and Philippines, and maybe UK.

 

[Rentahamster]

They won't be so happy when their economy tanks from this feud.

We'll see. It's hard to say at this moment in time.

 

[Already Torn]

This is stupid in China's part.
Like nobody who saw those disgusting lips mouthing "God bless the USA" had a positive image of this country.

Blocking the inauguration only makes Trump seem more legit when you can't see his fucking terrible "I'm about to die from old age" posture and frequent naps in the middle of ceremonies.