generalspeaking

Caution: Do NOT Run Afoul of China

"Today, the state of the global Internet around the world is primarily defined by American companies and platforms with strong free expression values."
"There's just no guarantee that will win out over time."
Mark Zuckerberg, head, Facebook

"We wanted to make an absolutely clear statement that the values of the N.B.A., these American values -- we are an American business --  travel with us wherever we go."
"And one of those values is free expression."
Adam Silver, league commissioner, National Basketball Association

"Basically, this is Hong Kong's last stand."
"We want government accountability. We want police accountability. It's not happening. We have to keep on coming out until they listen."
"If we don't come out there will never be a chance for us to come out again."
Edward (last name withheld), Hong Kong protester

Pro-democracy protesters 27 October 2019   Photograph: Lynn Bo Bo/EPA

When China issues orders at home, there is no question that President Xi Jinping command is law. When the People's Republic of China expresses its displeasure abroad, those in its crosshairs respond with alacrity to prevent being cut out of the massive Chinese market. Facebook banned in China, appears nonetheless, to be hale and healthy and perhaps its that social platform's immense following that protects it from the fallout of China's displeasure.

It became abundantly clear that the four big American airlines, Delta, American, Hawaiian and United took China's displeasure seriously to heart moving with feverish speed to remove references to Taiwan from their websites. They may be high profile representatives of the United States but they respond to demands from China regardless, and China does not look kindly on references to Taiwan as an independent state.

Thursday's parade and mask ban [Casey Quackenbush/Al Jazeera]

Marketing popular T-shirts reading "Hong Kong" at this particularly fraught time for China and Hong Kong protesters represents yet another intolerable interference in Chinese affairs. And when China cocks a critical eye at American retail, the response there too is self-effacingly immediate. In that instance the fashion house destroyed their product, and will no doubt in future be careful to link Hong Kong with China.

Marriott is a large and proud American hotelier but it saw no problem firing one of their social media managers in Nebraska who ignored his links with the company that employed him by attracting China's displeasure while "liking" a tweet posted by a Tibetan independence group. China has eyes and ears everywhere; no place is too distant, no sentiment discreet enough to bypass its notice and its resulting wrath.

DreamWorks obligingly included a map of China in its new animated movie "Abominable" complete with boundary line embracing most of the South China Sea which the Communist Party of China claims as its own, irrespective of the other bordering nations who also claim part of the sea adjacent their borders, a recognition of normal boundary claims honoured everywhere but China, hungry to lap up whatever it decides it must possess.

When Daryl Morey, general manager of the Houston Rockets basketball team, posted a tweet supporting the protesters in Hong Kong, China demanded he be fired, and cancelled N.B.A. games broadcasting to punish the N.B.A. Other foreign firms sat up straight, taking notice and firming up their resolve to take care to never, ever infuriate the trading giant and bully extraordinaire.

As far as China is concerned, it is protecting its national interests. It expects that its power, reputation and influence will intimidate other nations into obsequious servitude to its wishes. And it is not often disappointed.

Reuters  Painting the World Red

Labels: China, Hong Kong, United States

posted by Pieface @ Friday, November 01, 2019