Chinese censorship abroad

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Chinese censorship abroad refers to extraterritorial censorship by the government of the People's Republic of China (Chinese Communist Party; CCP), i.e. censorship that is conducted beyond China's own borders. The censorship can be applied 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 PRC 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.[1][2][3][4][5] 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.[1] When pressured by the Chinese regime, some companies have apologized or made statements in support of the regime's policies.[6][7]

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.[8][9]

Censorship of overseas services is also undertaken by companies based in China, such as WeChat[10][11] and TikTok.[12] 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.[13][14] 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.[15][16][17]

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  2. ^ Allen-Ebrahimian, Bethany (September 2020). "China is censoring Hollywood's imagination". Axios. Archived from the original on 25 October 2020. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  3. ^ "NBA-China standoff raises awareness of threat of Chinese censorship". Axios. 9 October 2019. Archived from the original on 11 October 2019. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  4. ^ Birtles, Bill (10 October 2019). "Cancellations, apologies and anger as China's nationalists push the boundaries of curtailing free speech". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 12 October 2019. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  5. ^ Pinon, Natasha (11 October 2019). "Here's a growing list of companies bowing to China censorship pressure". Mashable. Archived from the original on 13 October 2019. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  6. ^ Mazumdaru, Srinivas (11 October 2019). "Western firms kowtow to China's increasing economic clout". Deutsche Welle. Archived from the original on 13 October 2019. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  7. ^ Tufekci, Zeynep (15 October 2019). "Are China's Tantrums Signs of Strength or Weakness?". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on 4 April 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  8. ^ Dunn, Will (21 October 2019). "How Chinese censorship became a global export". New Statesman. Archived from the original on 26 March 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  9. ^ Yuan, Li (11 October 2019). "China's Political Correctness: One Country, No Arguments". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 7 March 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  10. ^ "How China's censorship machine crosses borders — and into Western politics". Human Rights Watch. 20 February 2019. Archived from the original on 18 September 2019. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  11. ^ Blackwell, Tom (4 December 2019). "Censored by a Chinese tech giant? Canadians using WeChat app say they're being blocked". National Post. Archived from the original on 4 December 2019. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  12. ^ O'Brien, Danny (10 October 2019). "China's Global Reach: Surveillance and Censorship Beyond the Great Firewall". Electronic Frontier Foundation. Archived from the original on 11 October 2019. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  13. ^ Yang, William (11 July 2019). "How China intimidates Uighurs abroad by threatening their families". DW.com. Deutsche Welle. Archived from the original on 21 September 2023. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  14. ^ Gelineau, Kristen (30 June 2021). "Report: Chinese students in Australia threatened by Beijing". ABC News. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 14 September 2022. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  15. ^ Mazza, Michael (31 July 2018). "China's airline censorship over Taiwan must not fly". Nikkei Asian Review. Archived from the original on 10 October 2019. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  16. ^ Stone Fish, Isaac (11 October 2019). "Perspective: How China gets American companies to parrot its propaganda". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 13 October 2019. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  17. ^ Anderson, Mae (9 October 2019). "U.S. companies walk a fine line when doing business with China". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 12 October 2019. Retrieved 23 October 2019.