China’s Communist Party (CCP) is set to criminalize public speech and online content that ‘hurts Chinese feeling.’ People found guilty under the proposed law could face fine and jail sentence, media reports say.
The law will apply to written content, speech, and even items of clothing. “China’s legislature on Aug. 28 deliberated draft amendments to China’s Public Security Administration Law that would ban behavior, clothing and speech that is “detriment to the Chinese national spirit or hurts the feelings of the Chinese people,” the Japanese newspaper Nikkei reported Friday.
According to news reports, the vaguely-worded law does not specify what might constitute ‘hurting Chinese feelings.’ The ‘crimes’ could range from wearing a traditional Japanese kimono to criticizing the Communist rule, media reports suggest.
The Australian public broadcaster ABC News reported Thursday:
Proposed changes to a Chinese public security law to criminalise comments, clothing or symbols that “undermine the spirit” or “harm the feelings” of the country have triggered the concern of legal experts, who say the amendments could be used arbitrarily.The draft changes were first made public last week as part of a mandatory “soliciting opinion” process, as concerns mount about the increasingly authoritarian and nationalistic rule of President Xi Jinping.The proposal is the first major reform of China’s public security law since it came into effect in 2005.Violations of the law could lead to detainment for up to 15 days and fines up to 5,000 yuan ($1,068), according to the draft law.The punishment could also apply to those who “smear and deny heroes and martyrs’ spirit and deeds” and those who “glorify invasion wars”.
This will be in addition to already existing draconian laws in place since the era of Mao Zedong (1943-76). In recent years, millions of Chinese citizens have been subjected to forced labor and Marxist ‘re-education’ camps for merely belonging to ethnic or religious minority.
The proposed law is yet another attempt to cement President Xi Jinping’s hold over the China’s 1.4 billion people. Five years ago, the CCP abolished the two-term limit and declared Xi China’s president-for-life.
Since taking power in 2013, Xi Jinping unrolled an ambitious plan to expand China’s influence across the globe and modernize the country’s armed forces. Under Xi’s leadership, the communist regime dreams of surpassing the U.S. as the world’s foremost economic and military power.
Xi’s trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) seeks to expand China’s clout over foreign governments and dominate their markets with Chinese state-run corporations. Beijing has undertaken as massive buildup of its military to be concluded by 2027 to coincide with the People’s Liberation Army’s 100th anniversary.
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