Chen Xiwo, described as “one of China’s most outspoken voices on freedom of expression for writers” by Asia Sentinel, has spoken about how he challenged the Chinese government’s decision to censor his latest book ahead of its launch in English.
CATEGORY: China
The “slippery slope” of Chinese literary censorship
American journalist Evan Osnos says he turned down the opportunity to publish a copy of his new book in China because censors asked for almost a quarter to be struck out. The case highlights the dilemma writers face publishing in a country now hungry for western works, reports Dinah Gardner
A meme is worth a thousand (banned) words in China
Comedic memes are the Achille’s heel of Chinese internet censors. Jemimah Steinfeld reports
Good sports: Which free-speech offending countries should we blow the whistle on?
Against the backdrop of the World Cup in Brazil, we ask how, during global sporting events, should we respond to countries that repress their citizen’s free expression? Should we engage or ignore?
China: Censors work overtime for Tiananmen anniversary
“Keep quiet and carry on” is the slogan that can best describe China’s take on the approaching 25th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, Francine Stone reports
Laos: Crony scheme in control of press and civil society
People forget, as they rarely do with Vietnam or China, that Laos is still a communist state with complete control over the press and civil society. Helen Clark reports
Revealed: The British exports that crush free expression
The Arab Spring has not stopped Britain from helping crush free expression by selling crowd control ammunition to authoritarian states including Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. Alex Stevenson reports
Inside the Hong Kong museum dedicated to the Tiananmen Square massacre
The June 4 Memorial Museum confronts China’s recent past in an honest, open way
Chinese youth hit hardest by government moves to ban popular US TV series online
Chinese fans of American TV have been dealt a serious blow after some of their favorite shows were removed from the country’s main video streaming websites. Jemimah Steinfeld reports on the withdrawal symptoms of the country’s youths
Chinese tourists are inadvertently reporting on the Tibetan struggle
While Tibetans face fierce internet restrictions, Chinese tourists appear to be breaching “the great Firewall of China” by sharing holiday snaps with friends back home. Alastair Sloan reports