5 ms·

This is pure insanity: "Quartz contacted the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology from Hong Kong asking for further clarification on how the rules wo

This is pure insanity: "Quartz contacted the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology from Hong Kong asking for further clarification on how the rules would work, but the ministry said it could only reply to faxed questions that came from a reporter with a mainland press card."

fweespeech 11y ago
They are cutting off the foreign news outlets. If you aren't a mainland Chinese journalist with a press card of that nature they no longer have any interest in your opinion. Why bother replying to people you don't care about?
vermontdevil 11y ago
Classic bureaucracy evasive manuever. I see it here in the US as well. "We only accept queries by email and will reply within three to five days" or "It will cost $1 per page to print" etc.
est 11y ago
Could international press community do something like embargo all mainland reporters?
- restalis 11y ago
  I'm afraid this will suit Chinese authorities just fine. This is not how you want to play this game.
- landryraccoon 11y ago
  That only strengthens the totalitarian government's position by further blocking any outside ideas. They don't care whether the press makes money, they want control.
- Futurebot 11y ago
  "isolating closed regimes is like 'threatening a drowning man with a lifeboat'" - Ian Bremmer, the J Curve: http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1071855.html http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1071855.html
rodgerd 11y ago
The government censor in New Zealand wants web sites to submit their material, item by item, to the censor's office for approval. Australia and the UK already have firewalls that filter all Internet traffic which "my bad, so sorry" seem to keep "accidentally" including all sorts of sites their backing legislation doesn't justify (at least as far as anyone can tell - the Australian government list is confidential). The UK is trying to roll out laws requiring all citizens to register with the government to view R18 material. China is just playing catch-up at this point.
- Joof 11y ago
  Their 'great firewall' is incredibly sophisticated and has lead to domestic companies like Baidu filling in gaps left by foreign companies. Weirdly, I think its helped China become a bigger power.
  - gohrt 11y ago
    It's called protectionism and had been the cornerstone of economic power growth for centuries
- goodcjw2 11y ago
  China is definitely the leader on the matter. Not a follower.
- snori74 11y ago
  Really? Perhaps you could enlighten those of us that live there and have not noticed this. There is a widely used block on CP sites: https://www.dia.govt.nz/Censorship-DCEFS https://www.dia.govt.nz/Censorship-DCEFS - but that's a very different thing.
  - spangry 11y ago
    Here's an example from Australia: http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/how-asics-attempt-to-block-one-website-took-down-250000-20130605-2np6v.html http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/how-asics-a... Not deliberate censorship (excluding the 1200 they did intend to censor, of course). I've had many dealings with ASIC throughout my career and can assure you that most of their 'bad actions' can be ascribed to incompetence rather than malice. Not that it's much of a comfort; the outcomes of giving power to evil are roughly the same as giving power to stupid.

fweespeech 11y ago

They are cutting off the foreign news outlets. If you aren't a mainland Chinese journalist with a press card of that nature they no longer have any interest in your opinion. Why bother replying to people you don't care about?

vermontdevil 11y ago

Classic bureaucracy evasive manuever. I see it here in the US as well. "We only accept queries by email and will reply within three to five days" or "It will cost $1 per page to print" etc.

est 11y ago

Could international press community do something like embargo all mainland reporters?

restalis 11y ago
I'm afraid this will suit Chinese authorities just fine. This is not how you want to play this game.
landryraccoon 11y ago
That only strengthens the totalitarian government's position by further blocking any outside ideas. They don't care whether the press makes money, they want control.
Futurebot 11y ago
"isolating closed regimes is like 'threatening a drowning man with a lifeboat'" - Ian Bremmer, the J Curve: http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1071855.html http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1071855.html

rodgerd 11y ago

The government censor in New Zealand wants web sites to submit their material, item by item, to the censor's office for approval. Australia and the UK already have firewalls that filter all Internet traffic which "my bad, so sorry" seem to keep "accidentally" including all sorts of sites their backing legislation doesn't justify (at least as far as anyone can tell - the Australian government list is confidential). The UK is trying to roll out laws requiring all citizens to register with the government to view R18 material. China is just playing catch-up at this point.

Joof 11y ago
Their 'great firewall' is incredibly sophisticated and has lead to domestic companies like Baidu filling in gaps left by foreign companies. Weirdly, I think its helped China become a bigger power.
- gohrt 11y ago
  It's called protectionism and had been the cornerstone of economic power growth for centuries
goodcjw2 11y ago
China is definitely the leader on the matter. Not a follower.
snori74 11y ago
Really? Perhaps you could enlighten those of us that live there and have not noticed this. There is a widely used block on CP sites: https://www.dia.govt.nz/Censorship-DCEFS https://www.dia.govt.nz/Censorship-DCEFS - but that's a very different thing.
- spangry 11y ago
  Here's an example from Australia: http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/how-asics-attempt-to-block-one-website-took-down-250000-20130605-2np6v.html http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/how-asics-a... Not deliberate censorship (excluding the 1200 they did intend to censor, of course). I've had many dealings with ASIC throughout my career and can assure you that most of their 'bad actions' can be ascribed to incompetence rather than malice. Not that it's much of a comfort; the outcomes of giving power to evil are roughly the same as giving power to stupid.