Op-ed: Is China a censorship threat to the Entertainment Industry?
It often comes as a surprise to people that a nation that upholds the ideals of free speech can still be affected by the censors of a country that does not. When money is involved however, the freedoms of the individual come second.
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China has one of the largest, and most profitable, markets for entertainment worldwide. Estimated to reach a value of $435bn by 2023 alone. As such many western corporations now have one single objective, accessing this market to ensure they can have a piece. However, the actions taken to have access go against the very principles many Western nations claim to uphold.
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Equality, freedom of speech and due representation are but a few of the casualties lost to the strict government censors. No piece of media can pass without following archaic guidelines. These have included the removal of art within video games, the shrinking of ethnic main leads in advertisements and ensuring that history represented is changed to uphold the perfect government ideal.
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If this were limited to the Chinese market then there would be little need for concern, but it is not. Hollywood has been censoring works for the Chinese market, to what extent? A shocking report revealed that casting, overall content, dialogue, and plot-lines are all being tailored for approval, ensuring US film companies do not lose access to such lucrative viewership.
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With American films grossing $2.6bn in China last year, why should it matter if Tibetan characters must be whitewashed, or Taiwanese flags removed from trailers? Why should it matter that it is being normalised? Why do our personal or national beliefs matter when there are billions in revenue to be gained?
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A new norm for entertainment, these necessary censorships are more commonplace with each passing year. The gaming industry, which today is the largest contributor to the entertainment industry worldwide, also falls to such predatory practices at the expense of the audience. Imagery, dialogue, story, characters, ethnic representation must all conform to a Chinese market above all else. The most known event being when the US government stepped into lightly reprimand the Company Blizzard for excising a pro player for standing with Hong Kong, which changed nothing.
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The danger posed is in the subtlety and normalisation of these practices, a danger that will be found in every industry with access to China. It can be argued that these censorship practices are a minor concern as they mostly go unnoticed or affect something a viewer is apathetic towards. Individually they might be inconsequential but across industries who are actively expanding these practices it only grows worse.
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Overall, with the trend as it is, it is clear that the benefits of having access to the Chinese market far outweigh any negative’s brought on by the government censors. Becoming a permanent feature of western entertainment for the foreseeable future.