The “C” Word
When talking about Chinese publishing there is one question that needs immediate attention: The Question of Censorship. Asked directly about censorship, our entourage has heard a variety of responses, ranging from a very official “there is no censorship in China,” delivered by the deputy director of the General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP, the Chinese government body that oversees book publishing) to more nuanced acknowledgement that censorship is part of the daily reality of publishing.
If there’s a general consensus on the topic, which has been addressed time and time again (the German foreign press corps here in Beijing is obsessed with it), it’s that the government is primarily concerned with steering the masses than policing the fringes. How this translates to the publishing industry is that objectionable books might make it into bookstores, but if they become popular, that turns them into targets for the censors. “What happens most often,” explained one independent publisher, “is that a reader will object to something in a book and then report it to the government. That’s when someone might look at it and censor it.”
If the Chinese delegation that’s going to attend Frankfurt is smart, they will host at least one panel that addresses the topic head on. “Is there Censorship in China?” sounds perfect. If they don’t, they risk making it the only topic that gets written about their stint as Guest of Honor at the Fair.
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