(RSF/IFEX) – Reporters Without Borders has voiced dismay upon learning the reasons given by China’s Publicity Department (the former Propaganda Department) for closing “China Youth Daily”‘s liberal weekly supplement, “Bing Dian”, on 29 January 2006. Editor Li Datong said the authorities singled out an 18 January article entitled “Modernisation and history textbooks,” saying it expressed […]
(RSF/IFEX) – Reporters Without Borders has voiced dismay upon learning the reasons given by China’s Publicity Department (the former Propaganda Department) for closing “China Youth Daily”‘s liberal weekly supplement, “Bing Dian”, on 29 January 2006.
Editor Li Datong said the authorities singled out an 18 January article entitled “Modernisation and history textbooks,” saying it expressed a “dangerous” view of the foreign occupation of China at the end of the 19th century. The supplement was accused of hurting national sentiment by romanticizing the invasion.
The offending article ceased to be available on the newspaper’s website as of 30 January. Clicking on a link to the article brings up the message: “We are sorry. This page does not exist.”
In an attempt to avert an outcry, the Publicity Department sent a message to all the leading Chinese media forbidding them to mention “Bing Dian”‘s closure. “China Youth Daily”‘s management has meanwhile banned Li from access to the newspaper’s intranet. His blog has also been blocked. Li said he intended to appeal to the Chinese Communist Party’s disciplinary control commission.
In an e-mail message to his colleagues, Li voiced his sadness about “Bing Dian”‘s closure by recounting this anecdote:
“I have a neighbour who is more than 70 years old. He is a retired Academy of Social Sciences professor. He was a “China Youth Daily” subscriber. He was disappointed to learn of “Bing Dian”‘s closure and went to the post office to cancel his subscription. The postal employee asked why, pointing out that there would be a two-yuan charge for the cancellation. The old professor said he had only wanted a subscription to “Bing Dian”, but this was not possible so he was forced to subscribe to “China Youth Daily”. As “Bing Dian” no longer existed, there was no point buying the newspaper. The post office employee asked him: ‘What was so interesting about Bing Dian?’ The old professor replied: “Bing Dian” said a few words of truth, that’s all.’ The employee said: “If that’s the case, I will do the cancellation for you and you won’t have to pay the charge.'”