The following censorship instructions, issued to the media by government authorities, have been leaked and distributed online.
Today at a regular meeting of the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, the following propaganda directives were released. Please take note:
- The web drama “Addicted,” dealing with homosexual subject matter, has been forbidden from broadcast. All channels are to cease inviting lead actors onto their shows or to hype them, such as Huang Jingyu, Xu Weizhou, Lin Fengsong, and Chen Wen.
- Do not hype the South Korean series “Descendants of the Sun.” Do not praise it too highly. Water down commercial antics designed to hook viewers. Ensure comments are appropriate. (Director: Lee Eung-bok. Lead actors: Kim Eun-sook, Song Joong-ki, Song Hye-kyo, Jin Goo, Kim Ji-won.)
- Do not hype the Hong Kong independence film “Ten Years.” The film has been nominated for a Hong Kong Film Award, and the award ceremony will be held in Hong Kong on April 3. At that time, all television, website, and broadcast channels are not to live broadcast the award ceremonies, and must resolutely prevent the appearance of related video. (Director: Kwok Zune, Huang Feipeng, Jevons Au, Kwun-wai Chow, Ng, Ka-Leung. Lead actors: Liu Kai-chi, Leung Kin Ping, Catherine Chau, Neo Yau Hawk-Sau, Ng Siu Hin.)
- Do not hype the luxurious weddings of certain celebrities. Recently, some websites promoted the lavish weddings of Huang Xiaoming and Nicky Wu, breaching our traditional virtues of diligence and thrift. Do not obsess over this sensational news. (April 2, 2016) [Chinese]
New wide-ranging rules on television content ban “abnormal sexual behavior.” The first episodes of a popular new web series “Addicted” (上瘾) were taken offline. Full episodes of the series are available on YouTube.
Following the widespread popularity of South Korean drama series “Descendants of the Sun” in China, the Ministry of Public Security warned that “watching Korean dramas could be dangerous, and even lead to legal troubles” on its official Weibo account.
The 2015 Hong Kong film “Ten Years” (十年), a speculative fiction set in 2025 and touching on Beijing’s growing influence on the semi-autnomous region, was awarded best film at the 35th Hong Kong Film Awards on April 3. Chinese media coverage of the awards made no mention of “Ten Years.” In January, The Global Times described the film as “absurd.”
Last October, a propaganda directive forbid actor Huang Xiaoming from appearing on CCTV programs after state media criticized his $31 million wedding to model Angelababy (Angela Yeung). The People’s Daily had previously warned that the lavish celebrity lifestyle can “negatively impact” the public.
Since directives are sometimes communicated orally to journalists and editors, who then leak them online, the wording published here may not be exact. The date given may indicate when the directive was leaked, rather than when it was issued. CDT does its utmost to verify dates and wording, but also takes precautions to protect the source. See CDT’s collection of Directives from the Ministry of Truth since 2011.
