History BannedinChina / China

Due to the large amount of video game piracy in China, many video games are never officially released or localized in China, and translations of such games often fall to the hands of fan translation groups. With the rise of online digital distribution platforms such as UsefulNotes/{{Steam}} however, many of the supposedly banned video games can be bought in China. In 2019, Creator/{{Valve|Corporation}} is in talks of launching a Chinese version of UsefulNotes/{{Steam}} to comply with Chinese video gaming legislation, featuring curated games only, but has no plans to block the global version of Steam from being accessed in China (though the Chinese government itself blocked the global version of Steam in Christmas 2021).

* In 2018, the community section of Steam (including reviews, discussions, and Workshop) was banned in China, though a lot of users had managed to work around it. In 2020, a specially curated version of Steam launched in China under the server and local publisher Perfect World Entertainment, and in Christmas 2021, the international version of Steam as a whole is banned in China.

** ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'' saw release to great critical acclaim in China, which led the Chinese to wonder why they couldn't have made a movie like that themselves. (The main reason for that is that traditional Confucian values are so strict in terms of avoiding conflict, especially with one's elders, that many of the driving conflicts in the film would be unacceptable in China.) The Chinese fixed this by co-producing ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda3''.

** Chinese comedian Li Haoshi is [[https://nypost.com/2023/05/18/china-issues-2m-fine-over-comedian-li-haoshis-army-joke/ arrested]] and issued a fine of $2 million in China for comparing the People's Liberation Army as "stray dogs chasing a squirrel". The Beijing Regulators view this joke as an embarassing insult, as it implies that the PLA are {{Paper Tiger}}s only capable of bullying their smaller neighbors, and will lose to any nation capable of fighting back.

* RhythmGame musician Creator/{{Ice|loki}} is PersonaNonGrata in China due to having produced [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_64P-d497oQ a song]] with a hidden "Free Hong Kong" message in Morse code. As a result, Chinese developers and publishers of rhythm games refuse to carry his songs (e.g. if those songs would otherwise be part of a collaboration with another rhythm game, as well as Chinese localizations of foreign-made rhythm games):
** ''VideoGame/CytusII'' was briefly pulled from Chinese app markets in July 2020, as the game carried some of his songs. The game would later be put back up in China, but with some of his songs removed, and Ice resigned from Rayark in order to take the heat off of them.

* Creator/{{Ice|loki}} is PersonaNonGrata in China due to having produced [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_64P-d497oQ a song]] with a hidden "Free Hong Kong" message in Morse code. As a result, Chinese developers and publishers of rhythm games refuse to carry his songs (e.g. if those songs would otherwise be part of a collaboration with another rhythm game, as well as Chinese localizations of foreign-made rhythm games):

* Creator/{{Ice|loki}} is PersonaNonGrata in China due to having produced [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_64P-d497oQ a song]] with a hidden "Free Hong Kong" message in Morse code. As a result, Chinese developers and publishers of rhythm games refuse to carry his songs (e.g. if they would otherwise be part of a collaboration with another rhythm game, as well as Chinese localizations of foreign-made rhythm games):
** ''VideoGame/CytusII'' was briefly pulled from Chinese app markets in July 2020, as the game carried some of his songs The game would later be put back up in China, but with some of his songs removed, and Ice resigned from Rayark in order to take the heat off of them.

* ''VideoGame/CytusII'' was briefly pulled from Chinese app markets in July 2020 because ICE, one of the music artists who was employed with its developer Rayark, produced [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_64P-d497oQ a song]] with a hidden "Free Hong Kong" message in Morse code, even though the song was made as a personal work rather than as part of any Rayark game. The game would later be put back up in China, but with some of his songs removed, and ICE resigned from Rayark in order to take the heat off of them.

The trope BannedInChina [[TropeNamer is named for]] the People's Republic of UsefulNotes/{{China}}, a country infamous for banning works seemingly arbitrarily. It might not be the most prolific, but it's certainly one of the most visible, because (a) China is a big country and a big export market, so producers want their works to make it there however they can and (b) China is also totalitarian and paternalistic, so the government has a lot of power and inclination to ban anything it feels has a bad influence on the people. This, of course, would include works which criticize or undermine the government, make fun of China or the Chinese as a whole, reference the more unpleasant events in China's history (particularly ones involving the Communist Party of China, as well as the UsefulNotes/SecondSinoJapaneseWar, which remain a sore point between China and Japan), or even risk inciting a revolution that could depose the totalitarian government in favor of democracy. LGBT content puts the work at risk of being banned, for fear it could change people's sexual orientation, though Danmei and Baihe (Chinese version of the BoysLove and GirlsLove genre) are highly popular in the country, with multiple adaptations in Manhua, Donghua and Live-Action even being produced from novels. Any works created by someone who supports independence for UsefulNotes/{{Tibet}}, UsefulNotes/HongKong, UsefulNotes/{{Xinjiang}}, or UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}} might [[BerserkButton incur a ban also]]. ([[DeadpanSnarker Surprisingly,]] [[TheUnfavourite no one is talking about]] [[UsefulNotes/{{Mongolia}} Inner Mongolia]] or UsefulNotes/{{Macau}}, [[AllCrimesAreEqual even if the same rule still applies there]].) Sometimes, the ''mere mention'' of any of these territories, even in a non-provocative context, is enough to cause the CCP to at least threaten to stop doing business with the offending third party.

censorship. Some individual theater managers will have unofficial ratings for films which otherwise pass, but these are relatively rare and separate from the government sanction. On the other hand, some media supposedly banned in China were not banned at all, often due to mistranslations thanks to lack of independent verification and the wide cultural and language barrier between China and the Western world.

* In June of 2020, ''VideoGame/SuperMarioMaker2'' was suddenly taken down from Chinese e-commerce websites for unknown reasons. However, as was [[https://www.hk01.com/%E6%95%B8%E7%A2%BC%E7%94%9F%E6%B4%BB/486088/super-mario-maker-2-%E6%B6%89%E8%BE%B1%E8%8F%AF%E5%85%A8%E4%B8%AD%E5%9C%8B%E4%B8%8B%E6%9E%B6-%E5%8F%88%E5%9B%A0%E8%87%AA%E7%94%B1%E7%8E%A9%E6%B3%95%E6%83%B9%E5%87%BA%E7%A6%8D reported]] across Chinese language media, it was alleged that the ban was due to user-made levels full of mockery and satires of the Chinese government. However, this was unknown to non-Chinese viewers until the [=YouTube=] channel "Censored Gaming" [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2ItyPVtLjI covered it.]]

** Chinese comedian Li Haoshi is [[https://nypost.com/2023/05/18/china-issues-2m-fine-over-comedian-li-haoshis-army-joke/ arrested]] and issued a fine of $2 million in China for comparing the People's Liberation Army as "stray dogs" chasing a squirrel. The Beijing Regulators view this joke as an embarassing insult, as it implies that the PLA are {{Paper Tiger}}s only capable of bullying their smaller neighbors, and will lose to any nation capable of fighting back.

** Chinese comedian Li Haoshi is [[https://nypost.com/2023/05/18/china-issues-2m-fine-over-comedian-li-haoshis-army-joke/ arrested]] and issued a fine of $2 million in China for comparing the People's Liberation Army as "stray dogs" chasing a squirrel". The Beijing Regulators view this joke as an embarassing insult, as it implies that the PLA are {{Paper Tiger}}s only capable of bullying their smaller neighbors, and will lose to any nation capable of fighting back.

** Chinese comedian Li Haoshi is [[https://nypost.com/2023/05/18/china-issues-2m-fine-over-comedian-li-haoshis-army-joke/ arrested]] and issued a fine of $2 million in China for comparing the People's Liberation Army as "stray dogs" chasing a squirrel". The Beijing Regulators view this joke as an embarassing insult, as it implies that the PLA are huge cowards who are only capable of bullying their smaller neighbors and will lose to larger nations (such as the USA) in a straight fight.

** A Malaysian born "Uncle Rogers" who resided in London is [[https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/china/uncle-roger-banned-china-b2344690.html banned]] on Chinese social media platforms for making jabs at mainland China by saying "All the phone listening. All the phone listening, this nephew got Huawei phone, they all listening. All our phones, tap into it: Long live president Xi Jinping" (referring to Huawei's heavy surveillance on their tech products), sarcastically joking if Taiwan would one day become part of China, and jokes that he will predictably get cancelled for it.

The trope BannedInChina [[TropeNamer is named for]] the People's Republic of UsefulNotes/{{China}}, a country infamous for banning works seemingly arbitrarily. It might not be the most prolific, but it's certainly one of the most visible, because (a) China is a big country and a big export market, so producers want their works to make it there however they can and (b) China is also totalitarian and paternalistic, so the government has a lot of power and inclination to ban anything it feels has a bad influence on the people. This, of course, would include works which criticize or undermine the government, make fun of China or the Chinese as a whole, reference the more unpleasant events in China's history (particularly ones involving the Communist Party of China, as well as the UsefulNotes/SecondSinoJapaneseWar, which remain a sore point between China and Japan), or even risk inciting a revolution that could depose the totalitarian government in favor of democracy. LGBT content puts the work at risk of being banned, for fear it could change people's sexual orientation, though Danmei and Baihe (Chinese version of the BoysLove and GirlsLove genre) are highly popular in the country, with multiple adaptations in Manhua, Donghua and Live-Action even being produced from novels. Any works created by someone who supports independence for UsefulNotes/{{Tibet}}, UsefulNotes/HongKong, UsefulNotes/{{Xinjiang}}, or UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}} might [[BerserkButton incur a ban also]]. ([[DeadpanSnarker Surprisingly,]] [[TheUnfavourite no one is talking about Inner Mongolia or]] UsefulNotes/{{Macau}}, [[AllCrimesAreEqual even if the same rule still applies there]].) Sometimes, the ''mere mention'' of any of these territories, even in a non-provocative context, is enough to cause the CCP to at least threaten to stop doing business with the offending third party.

The trope BannedInChina [[TropeNamer is named for]] the People's Republic of UsefulNotes/{{China}}, a country infamous for banning works seemingly arbitrarily. It might not be the most prolific, but it's certainly one of the most visible, because (a) China is a big country and a big export market, so producers want their works to make it there however they can and (b) China is also totalitarian and paternalistic, so the government has a lot of power and inclination to ban anything it feels has a bad influence on the people. This, of course, would include works which criticize or undermine the government, make fun of China or the Chinese as a whole, reference the more unpleasant events in China's history (particularly ones involving the Communist Party of China, as well as the UsefulNotes/SecondSinoJapaneseWar, which remain a sore point between China and Japan), or even risk inciting a revolution that could depose the totalitarian government in favor of democracy. LGBT content puts the work at risk of being banned, for fear it could change people's sexual orientation, though making Danmei and Baihe (Chinese version of the BoysLove and GirlsLove genre) are highly popular in the country, with multiple adaptations in Manhua, Donghua and Live-Action even being produced from Danmei novels. Any works created by someone who supports independence for UsefulNotes/{{Tibet}}, UsefulNotes/HongKong, UsefulNotes/{{Xinjiang}}, or UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}} might [[BerserkButton incur a ban also]]. ([[DeadpanSnarker Surprisingly,]] [[TheUnfavourite no one is talking about Inner Mongolia or]] UsefulNotes/{{Macau}}, [[AllCrimesAreEqual even if the same rule still applies there]].) Sometimes, the ''mere mention'' of any of these territories, even in a non-provocative context, is enough to cause the CCP to at least threaten to stop doing business with the offending third party.

The trope BannedInChina [[TropeNamer is named for]] the People's Republic of UsefulNotes/{{China}}, a country infamous for banning works seemingly arbitrarily. It might not be the most prolific, but it's certainly one of the most visible, because (a) China is a big country and a big export market, so producers want their works to make it there however they can and (b) China is also totalitarian and paternalistic, so the government has a lot of power and inclination to ban anything it feels has a bad influence on the people. This, of course, would include works which criticize or undermine the government, make fun of China or the Chinese as a whole, reference the more unpleasant events in China's history (particularly ones involving the Communist Party of China, as well as the UsefulNotes/SecondSinoJapaneseWar, which remain a sore point between China and Japan), or even risk inciting a revolution that could depose the totalitarian government in favor of democracy.
LGBT content puts the work at risk of being banned, for fear it could change people's sexual orientation, though making Danmei and Baihe (Chinese version of the BoysLove and GirlsLove genre) are highly popular in the country, with multiple adaptations in Manhua, Donghua and Live-Action even being produced from Danmei novels. Any works created by someone who supports independence for UsefulNotes/{{Tibet}}, UsefulNotes/HongKong, UsefulNotes/{{Xinjiang}}, or UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}} might [[BerserkButton incur a ban also]]. ([[DeadpanSnarker Surprisingly,]] [[TheUnfavourite no one is talking about Inner Mongolia or]] UsefulNotes/{{Macau}}, [[AllCrimesAreEqual even if the same rule still applies there]].) Sometimes, the ''mere mention'' of any of these territories, even in a non-provocative context, is enough to cause the CCP to at least threaten to stop doing business with the offending third party.

LGBT content puts the work at risk of being banned in mainland China ''and'' in Hong Kong, for fear it will change people's sexual orientation, though making Danmei and Baihe (Chinese version of the BoysLove and GirlsLove genre) are highly popular in the country, with multiple adaptations in Manhua, Donghua and Live-Action even being produced from Danmei novels. Any works created by someone who supports independence for UsefulNotes/{{Tibet}}, UsefulNotes/HongKong, UsefulNotes/{{Xinjiang}}, or UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}} might [[BerserkButton incur a ban also]]. ([[DeadpanSnarker Surprisingly,]] [[TheUnfavourite no one is talking about Inner Mongolia or]] UsefulNotes/{{Macau}}, [[AllCrimesAreEqual even if the same rule still applies there]].) Sometimes, the ''mere mention'' of any of these territories, even in a non-provocative context, is enough to cause the CCP to at least threaten to stop doing business with the offending third party.

The trope BannedInChina [[TropeNamer is named for]] the People's Republic of UsefulNotes/{{China}}, a country infamous for banning works seemingly arbitrarily. It might not be the most prolific, but it's certainly one of the most visible, because (a) China is a big country and a big export market, so producers want their works to make it there however they can and (b) China is also totalitarian and paternalistic, so the government has a lot of power and inclination to ban anything it feels has a bad influence on the people. This, of course, would include works which criticize or undermine the government, make fun of China or the Chinese as a whole, reference the more unpleasant events in China's history (particularly ones involving the Communist Party of China, as well as the UsefulNotes/SecondSinoJapaneseWar, which remain a sore point between China and Japan), or even risk inciting a revolution that could depose the totalitarian government in favor of democracy. Any works created by someone who supports independence for UsefulNotes/{{Tibet}}, UsefulNotes/HongKong, UsefulNotes/{{Xinjiang}}, or UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}} might [[BerserkButton incur a ban also]]. ([[DeadpanSnarker Surprisingly,]] [[TheUnfavourite no one is talking about Inner Mongolia or]] UsefulNotes/{{Macau}}, [[AllCrimesAreEqual even if the same rule still applies there]].) Sometimes, the ''mere mention'' of any of these territories, even in a non-provocative context, is enough to cause the CCP to at least threaten to stop doing business with the offending third party.

The trope BannedInChina [[TropeNamer is named for]] the People's Republic of UsefulNotes/{{China}}, a country infamous for banning works seemingly arbitrarily. It might not be the most prolific, but it's certainly one of the most visible, because (a) China is a big country and a big export market, so producers want their works to make it there however they can and (b) China is also totalitarian and paternalistic, so the government has a lot of power and inclination to ban anything it feels has a bad influence on the people. This, of course, would include works which criticize or undermine the government, make fun of China or the Chinese as a whole, reference the more unpleasant events in China's history (particularly ones involving the Communist Party of China, as well as the UsefulNotes/SecondSinoJapaneseWar, which remain a sore point between China and Japan), or even risk inciting a revolution that could depose the totalitarian government in favor of democracy. Any works created by someone who supports independence for UsefulNotes/{{Tibet}}, UsefulNotes/HongKong, UsefulNotes/Xinjiang, or UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}} might [[BerserkButton incur a ban also]]. ([[DeadpanSnarker Surprisingly,]] [[TheUnfavourite no one is talking about Inner Mongolia or]] UsefulNotes/{{Macau}}, [[AllCrimesAreEqual even if the same rule still applies there]].) Sometimes, the ''mere mention'' of any of these territories, even in a non-provocative context, is enough to cause the CCP to at least threaten to stop doing business with the offending third party.

The trope BannedInChina [[TropeNamer is named for]] the People's Republic of UsefulNotes/{{China}}, a country infamous for banning works seemingly arbitrarily. It might not be the most prolific, but it's certainly one of the most visible, because (a) China is a big country and a big export market, so producers want their works to make it there however they can and (b) China is also totalitarian and paternalistic, so the government has a lot of power and inclination to ban anything it feels has a bad influence on the people. This, of course, would include works which criticize or undermine the government, make fun of China or the Chinese as a whole, reference the more unpleasant events in China's history (particularly ones involving the Communist Party of China, as well as the UsefulNotes/SecondSinoJapaneseWar, which remain a sore point between China and Japan), or even risk inciting a revolution that could depose the totalitarian government in favor of democracy. Any works created by someone who supports independence for UsefulNotes/{{Tibet}}, UsefulNotes/HongKong, or UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}} might [[BerserkButton incur a ban also]]. ([[DeadpanSnarker Surprisingly,]] [[TheUnfavourite no one is talking about]] UsefulNotes/{{Macau}}, [[AllCrimesAreEqual even if the same rule still applies there]].) Sometimes, the ''mere mention'' of any of these territories, even in a non-provocative context, is enough to cause the CCP to at least threaten to stop doing business with the offending third party.

* The two cases above caused some great concern with {{game mod|ding}} community in China, fearing that subsequently any created digital content will require approval by the state to publish (as to prevent spreading of dissent) and the Steam Workshop hosts a lot of Chinese modders.

* Portions of the broadcast of ''Anderson Cooper 360'' that aired from May 2, 2012 onwards on [[Creator/{{CNN}} CNN International]] were blacked out in China when it discussed developments with political activist Chen Guangcheng, particularly when alleged threats made towards Chen and his family by the Chinese government were mentioned.

** Blocked sites of note include Website/{{Google}}'s Blogspot, [=Flickr=], Website/{{Twitter}}, Website/{{Facebook}}, Website/{{DeviantArt}}[[note]]It was unblocked from 2016 to 2018[[/note]], and Website/{{Tumblr}}. Western news sites such as [[Creator/TheBBC BBC News]], Creator/{{CNN}}, and the New York Times are also banned. Most video sharing sites are also blocked, including Website/{{YouTube}}, although everything other than the video servers is unblocked on certain college campuses. Website/FourChan and Vic George's Imaginarium (the home of ''Fanfic/EmpathTheLuckiestSmurf'' fanfic) is ''not'' blocked; make of that what you will.

** A Malaysian born "Uncle Rogers" who resided in London is [[https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/china/uncle-roger-banned-china-b2344690.html banned]] on Chinese social media platforms for making jabs at mainland China by saying "All the phone listening. All the phone listening, this nephew got Huawei phone, they all listening. All our phones, tap into it: Long live president Xi Jinping" (referring to Huawei's heavy surveillance on their tech products), sarcastically joking that Taiwan will one day become part of China, and jokes that he will predictably get cancelled for it.

* ''Series/LastWeekTonightWithJohnOliver'' was banned on Chinese social media after a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OubM8bD9kck segment]] critical of President Xi Jinping.

The trope BannedInChina [[TropeNamer is named for]] the People's Republic of UsefulNotes/{{China}}, a country famous for banning works seemingly arbitrarily. It might not be the most prolific, but it's certainly one of the most visible, because (a) China is a big country and a big export market, so producers want their works to make it there however they can and (b) China is also totalitarian and paternalistic, so the government has a lot of power and inclination to ban anything it feels has a bad influence on the people. This, of course, would include works which criticize or undermine the government, make fun of China or the Chinese as a whole, reference the more unpleasant events in China's history (particularly ones involving the Communist Party of China, as well as the UsefulNotes/SecondSinoJapaneseWar, which remain a sore point between China and Japan), or even risk inciting a revolution that could depose the totalitarian government in favor of democracy. Any works created by someone who supports independence for UsefulNotes/{{Tibet}}, UsefulNotes/HongKong, or UsefulNotes/{{Taiwan}} might [[BerserkButton incur a ban also]]. ([[DeadpanSnarker Surprisingly,]] [[TheUnfavourite no one is talking about]] UsefulNotes/{{Macau}}, [[AllCrimesAreEqual even if the same rule still applies there]].) Sometimes, the ''mere mention'' of any of these territories, even in a non-provocative context, is enough to cause the CCP to at least threaten to stop doing business with the offending third party.

* {{Hentai}} (and basically anything else pornographic) faces a ban on China too. This hasn't stopped fans there from importing hentai anime and manga into the country thru black market or access it via VPN though.