CRF-2005-03-text.qxd 9/8/053:10PMPage85 rs ti h u;andthey have found it.” itinthe bud; crush sothatdiscover they might toassailhumanity, apointat which andexplored theholiestdepthsto and devised theirschemes; thesefoes ofman have calculated pictured tousintheBible, from them summon allmy powers togetherthat Imay notbedislodged andIwill are Darknessandperversion my elements, nobler. I willnotbecomemore enlightened,—Iwillnotbecome . . themenround meshallnotbecomewiserorbetter. least, c deceptionofthepeople, demned theauthorities’ philosopherJohann German oncecon- Gottliebtury Fichte c people andkeep themforever at thelowest endofthefood istodeceive the plainly, mation quarantine? The purpose, isthereason for thisinfor- anguishtome.What of particular The information quarantineimplementedinChinaisasource nious society. discord.We cannotshirk ourresponsibility tocontribute tobuilding aharmo- infact istherootofallChina’s social ofphenomena,and the leastharmonious society,but pigsty)is China’s it,information fortress information (orasIterm free togive mefeedback.The central government’s planistobuild aharmonious r y Every year you soaffectedly perform with thesameancestors. But they are notpigsorsheep! They are peoplejustlike us, as pigsorsheep. such ing more thancreatures for slaughter, deedwould aruthless betoimaginesuch thepeopleasnoth- Department.” amount oftimeIusedtowritemy “Denunciation oftheCentral Propaganda iscoincidentally thesame it aboutfour monthslater onMarch10,2005.This began expandingthecommentsintoanarticle,completing in December2004.I Author’s note:This isbasedoncommentsImadeat article UCLAandBerkeley animals. treats thepeopleofChinaasnobetterthan effectively restricting accesstoinformation The Chinesegovernment’s insistanceon BY JIAO GUOBIAO CHINA’S “INFORMATION PIGSTY” epresentative,and the conclusion is not comprehensive,so Ihopereaders willfeel theconclusionisnotcomprehensive,so epresentative,and haracterizing their attitude this way: “‘As longasIlive at “‘As theirattitude thisway: haracterizing hain through famous ignoranceandweakness.The 18thcen- our ceremony tothe Yellow and pronounce usall Emperor, hnItikaoti,theonly way that Icouldaccomplish When Ithinkabout it, 1 ’... T he materials andfacts usedhere may notbeentirely accurate or odyadcatl,astheenemyColdly andcraftily, ofmankind 2 c Lifegreatly. was certainly different for thoselower onthefood but thecontextcanvary lower onthefood chain, thanrulers other? each but isthistheway blood relatives shouldtreat his descendents, from thepeopleofChinahadno idea Western information, shielded Similarly, China’swhich peoplewere beingsubjected. W r P 20-odd years immediately following thefounding ofthe v is madeupofseveral large stones. The outerwall ofthepigstythat separates Chinafrom the West China’s pigsty information The outerringofstinkingstonesenclosing impossible to speak of the superiority ofoursocialism. impossible tospeakofthesuperiority W at this way. Otherwisearen’t we elevating theprestige ofthe West as actually but inChinaitcannotbeexpressed Westernization, effectively connectionstothe andso-calledglobalization West, connectionsare International than to orLatin Africa America. w fo outercoffin ofChina’scoffin.The information pigstyisthe the pasttombsofwealthy includedaninnerandouter orasin just asinancienttimescitieshadinnerandouterwalls, China’s information pigstyhasat leasttwo ofstone, rings plate. asmany asyouall shapes cancontem- andwithoutnumber, of somelargepigsty? andsomesmall, There are many stones, that’s theirownoffensive, problem. expression “information pigsty.” Ifsomepeoplefind this but prefer tocallaspadewiththe mation fortress,” or “infor- as polite expression such “information quarantine” from thoseofSwitzerland.That’s witha why I’mnotbothering as thelives ofthepeopleUgandaare completely different we Emperor.The sentimentsofthesubjectsSuiEmperor eporters withinChina’seporters thepresence of boundaries.Without hain thanXiaJieor Yin Zhou enting Inthe Western from freely journalists China. entering ol’ eulco hn,there were virtually no eople’sWestern Republic ofChina,

rd yteotiewrdIrfr nfc,tothe West infact, Bytheoutsideworld rather Irefer, orld. r senjunlss noonewas aware to ofthesuffering journalists, estern estern capitalism and imperialism? capitalismestern andimperialism? Then itbecomeslogically u w xes,andadmittingthat we from must learn our own expense, re tification that separates theChinesepeoplefrom theoutside h odcani tra,andthemassesare eternally iseternal, The food chain What kindsofstonesare usedtobuild China’s information

certainly different from thoseofthe Tang Emperor, 3 than for thoseunderthe Yellow The first stone The first is that pre- 4 just

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what the West was like; they only knew that non-Chinese lived commercial orders to traditional filial values, can be hijacked in a state of distress from which only we could rescue them. In by them for some evil purpose. reality,in the 50s, 60s and 70s, while China was closed off Permitting foreign journalists to enter China is just the first from the West, the upper levels of China’s leadership could still step in the long march, with many tribulations lying ahead. smoke Western cigarettes, drink Western alcohol, and dress The second stone in the outer wall of China’s information pigsty their women up in Western fashion.This is clear from scattered is the stipulation that once foreign journalists are in China, they historical references. Reading The Past is Not Like Smoke,5 I see that have to maintain a record of their reporting activity and apply at the time that Luo Longji6 was condemned as a rightist, he for permission in advance. Journalists stationed in Beijing can- was smoking Western cigars, not because he had studied over- not simply roam around the city at will, but must apply to the seas, but because he was head of the Ministry of Forestry. relevant authorities before carrying out any reporting activities. With reform and opening,Western journalists were If they wish to leave the city,they must do so in the company of allowed to enter China. But not all Western media were a foreign affairs functionary.In a word, according to regula- allowed to establish bureaus in China; rather, a political selec- tions, there is no leeway in reporting activities. tion process was employed to decide which ones were Is permission required even for spot reporting? Of course. allowed in. It was impossible to exclude media with great This regulation is obviously unrealistic, and a lot of news, international influence, such as The New York Times and Reuters, especially local news, cannot be covered if permission is but otherwise only those with a relatively “friendly” attitude required, and for that reason foreign reporters don’t actually were allowed in. So-called “friendly” media were in fact those adhere strictly to the rules. For the most part, in the case of that emphasized commercial value over journalistic ethics, or superficial reporting that isn’t too time-sensitive, they’ll write perhaps more accurately,those that allowed commercial con- up their logs and apply for permission as required; but if they siderations to influence journalistic ethics.Their first consid- wish to pry below the surface, they have to feel their way along eration was to expand their reach into China, and if achieving and break the rules. Reason would dictate that if the rules are this goal required becoming a yes-man of Chinese official- unrealistic, they should be changed as soon as possible. But if dom to a certain extent, they were willing to be yes-men. we change the rules, then how can we continue to function as Overseas Chinese media wishing to enter China have all had bureaucrats and make our obstructive existence known? to cross this barrier of conscience.The Hong Kong media are A Japanese journalist told me that not long ago he went to the most typical example; those willing to lick the smelly feet Ruijin, Jiangxi Province, after following all the rules and sub- of Chinese officialdom are allowed free access to the Chinese mitting his application to the Ruijin external affairs officials for market, while those that maintain a critical attitude are barred approval. Ultimately,however, the Ruijin officials seized on this from entry. opportunity to satisfy their greed, and the reporter was Voice of America (VOA) was grudgingly allowed to open a obliged to pay them 8,000 yuan for five days’ reporting. Every bureau in China, but Radio Free Asia (RFA) has not been day three officials accompanied that reporter in his work, forc- granted permission. One RFA reporter, originally from South- ing him to stay within the city limits, and preventing him from ern China, was blacklisted after writing a lengthy story on going to the countryside. China that criticized an official from the Foreign Affairs Min- More recently,about a month before our conversation, this istry.When the reporter’s father was gravely ill, he applied for same reporter wanted to go to Kaifeng, Henan Province to permission to enter China to visit him, and petty-minded offi- view the remains of Liu Shaoqi—he’d heard a new memorial cials saw their opportunity for revenge.After tormenting the hall had just opened there, and he wanted to see it. Once he reporter for a week, they finally let him in, but by the time he reached Zhengzhou, the provincial external affairs office told reached home, his father had already breathed his last. him that the memorial hall hadn’t opened yet, so he couldn’t go. He thought that since he was already almost there, rather The first consideration of “friendly” than go back empty-handed, he would visit Kaifeng as a tourist and have a look at the memorial hall even though it wasn’t media was to expand their reach into open. Once he reached Kaifeng, he found that the memorial China, and if that required becoming a hall actually had opened. How could a respectable provincial yes-man, they were willing to do it. bureau have acted so deceitfully? Clearly,life is troublesome and exasperating for those for- eign media allowed to operate bureaus in China.Article 19 of This case not only violates the most basic journalistic cul- the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states, “Everyone ture, in which a reporter, whether in China or elsewhere, is not has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right meant to serve as a megaphone, but also betrays the most tra- includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to ditional filial ethics of the Chinese people. But this bunch seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any couldn’t care less.The rules of human civilization are no more media and regardless of frontiers.” Foreign reporters who want than a dog’s fart to them, and traditional values are worthless. to act “regardless of frontiers” may do so in the U.S., but in They are not only the enemies of human civilization, but of China—sorry,not possible. their own national culture.Anything that can be held ransom, Another problem related to foreign reporters and foreign from the vast reaches of our national territory to enormous media is that foreign media bureaus in China are not allowed CRF-2005-03-text.qxd 9/8/053:10PMPage87 Off limits: Migrants sort recyclablematerialsinaGuangzhoudump. Photo:Reuters Off limits:Migrantssort v another exampleof two“one country systems”?Openregions isn’t between areas thedisparity thecitiesandrural place; allovernational the disgrace.We implement “two systems” but isinfact our Deng Xiaopinghasbeencalledagreat idea, credibility. this shamefulandstupidbehavior ultimately damages China’s by theneedfortrumped however face ofthoseinpower, much Buttheneedsofthesepeopleare and dosomethingabout. care about, places that theoutsideworld needstoknow about, that placesare thepoorest precisely andmostbackward the sw where there isnoteven spare clothto a singlepairoftrousers, ofChinawhere anentire parts family must shareclosed.Those andthe AIDS villages ofHenanProvince are naturallyareas, W asBeijing’s Placessuch cannotenterclosedregions. nationals, r r andhave outreportage. tocarry noright assistants, canonlyto hire work Chineseas actualjournalists.They as gos u oeges includingethnicChineseforeign but foreigners, egions, Foreign canenteropen journalists egions andclosedregions. ersus closedregions alsoqualifyas two“one country sys- angfujing andShanghai’s NanjingRoadare naturally open dl e-onifn,are closedtoforeigners.We know addle anew-born infant, The third The “One Country by conceptoriginated Two Systems” stone inthewall is thedivisionofChinaintoopen odious I find it.The Chinesewhojamtheforeign radiotrans- odious Ifind it.The cult tohear. b broadcasts werepeople listeningtosuch nolongerprosecuted, and thislabel was removed, reform andopening, cold.After madeone’s thepronouncement ofwhich blood run shek,” orChiangKai- equivalent to asanagent“serving oftheU.S. indeed, a fearsome crime tening toahostilebroadcast,” abroadcast was labelednese listeningtosuch as “furtively lis- K theU.S.,Taiwan includingEurope, andHong China’s borders, allradiostations outsideof opening andreform period, Before the is thejammingofforeign radiotransmissions. not great at all. isvery mundane and as cept such two“one country systems” have two different ways ofdealingwithyour own acon- body, b y regions, backward Inpoor, can thinkofmany more examples. andany fool China-born mainland isonly amatter ofdegree, tems.”The difference between HongKong andMacauthe ou powder androuge your face whenyou gooutinpublic, ut jamming technologies madethetransmissionsvery diffi-ut jammingtechnologies ti rvt o s ld ferht ieyu s.Ifyou ut inprivate you towipeyour useclodsofearth ass. n,were considered “hostile broadcasters.”A mainlandChi- ong, h oeIcnie hstci,themore reprehensible and The more Iconsiderthistactic, The fourth The fourth stone that separates Chinafrom theoutsideworld

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missions are the same kind of people as those who listen to them; they are all Chinese adults who are allowed to carry out A Breach in the Pigsty Wall legal activities, and have the same capacity for objective dis- cernment, so on what basis are the latter banned from listen- BY ZHAO DAGONG ing to the broadcasts? What right do you have to decide who can listen and who cannot? Are you smarter than they are? If not, then there’s only one reason, which is that you are the Zhao Dagong reflects on the significance rulers and they are the ruled.What is the relationship between of dissident mainland writers being includ- the rulers and the ruled? Is it that of not allowing them free ed among winners of the Human Rights access to information? If that is the case, aren’t you just enclos- ing them in a pen like pigs or sheep meant to provide you with Press Awards in Hong Kong in June. meat to eat and milk to drink? If that is the relationship, can’t you see how barbaric, backward and benighted this kind of It is natural for a Hong Kong journalist or writer to rule is in this day and age, and that if you don’t abandon it, it receive the Human Rights Press Award. It is not even will eventually be obliterated? unusual for a foreign journalist to win this reward. But for this award, sponsored by the Hong Kong Journalists The poorest and most backward places are Association, the Hong Kong Foreign Correspondent’s Club and Amnesty International’s Hong Kong section, to precisely the places that the outside world be presented to a mainland dissident writer carries a sig- needs to know about, care about, and do nificance that extends to autocratic mainland China.1 something about. I feel deeply honored to have received one of the 10th Annual Human Rights Press Awards in the com- pany of Mr. Liu Xiaobo, Mr. Zhang Yu in Sweden and The fifth stone in the wall of China’s information pigsty sepa- other such writers.When I ascended the podium to rating China from the West is the blocking of satellite signals. receive the award from Hong Kong Legislative Coun- The State Administration of Radio, Film & Television at one time cilor Tong Ka-wah, when I heard the enthusiastic issued written instructions that only hotels rated four stars or applause from the audience, when the camera flashes above and officials at the departmental grade or above were per- exploded repeatedly in my eyes, I was very moved.At mitted access to overseas satellite television transmissions.The the time I thought, this is not an honor for me person- equality of all persons extends all areas; all are equal before the ally; it is an honor for the thousands and ten thousands law and all have equal right to access information. Equality of Chinese writers who continue struggle to make a liv- before the law has been proclaimed for so long that we seldom ing for the sake of democracy and freedom. see law applied differently according to rank or location, but Mr. Zhang Yu heads up the Independent Chinese PEN equal access to information is still a novel concept, and retains Center, and I am a member of the organization’s pris- remnants of the deeply ingrained rank mentality. oner committee. Like other members of the committee, The sixth stone is the blocking of Internet access. I’m not we are constantly concerned with the situations of Chi- clear on how many specific means are used to obstruct Inter- nese writers in prison. In the course of going out and net access, but I know of at least four: 1) the erection of shields collecting information about these cases, and in con- against certain foreign Web sites so they can’t be viewed; 2) the stantly talking with the family members of those in use of filters to block access to certain content on a given Web prison, we have come to a deep feeling of responsibility site; 3) the random closure of certain domestic Web sites, such to severely condemn the persecution of the Chinese as Peking University’s “Yita Hutu” discussion board not long Communist authorities’ “literary inquisition.”We feel ago; and 4) the routine interference with e-mail. In the U.S., all obliged to call on the whole world to be concerned with Web sites can be freely accessed, and a search under any term the steadily deteriorating situation of human rights in will bring results—a “brave new world” indeed! Could it be China, to rescue these writers from their imprisonment that China is naturally disposed to operate as it does? I don’t and to help improve their living conditions in prison. believe it. China will change—China must and can change. The article that Zhang Yu and I wrote, “Zhongguo guanya On December 21, 2004, RFA reported, “Beijing warned zuojia shijie zhi guan [China takes first place for detaining students not to discuss politics on overseas Web sites.”The writers],” was published in the November 2004 issue of report went on: Hong Kong’s Open Magazine.The article revealed the evil persecution carried out by the Chinese authorities A history student at Peking University,after logging onto against writers, and categorized the kinds of writers in overseas Chinese Web sites a number of times, received a prison, while at the same time using numbers and warning from a teacher who oversees the university Web site. charts to show the misfortune encountered by dissident The student said he was not previously acquainted with writers in prison. In that same issue of Open Magazine, that teacher, but during the previous month, that teacher had there was a series of feature articles by other writers called him by name and warned him, “Don’t think you can CRF-2005-03-text.qxd 9/8/053:11PMPage89 2. Dissident writer Ouyang Dissidentwriter Yi was sentencedtotwo years inprison 2. see Amnesty International For afulllistoftheaward recipients, 1. NOTES re monthly online journal, was published originally This article inChineseHRIC’s T more democratic andfree society. v tocontinue disseminatingsident writers humanrights willemboldenmainlanddis- land dissidentwriters.This whatever intimidation andpersecutioncomesourway. are alreadycratic rule prepared psychologically toface ChineseCommunist anddare auto- toattack to write but that thoseofuswhodarethat thiswas apossibility, w sist inexercising andpublish. theirfreedom towrite f Hong Kong’s commentators have expressed theirsupport K oreven retain thefreedoms that Hong democratization, that HongKong willbeable tocontinue onitscourseof itwillbedifficult toguarantee continues todeteriorate, conversely, situation onthemainland ifthehumanrights cal reform canHongKong societypreserve itsstability; through withpoliti- Only ifChinacarries the longterm. also preserve HongKong’s oflaw freedom andrule in showing for China’s concern situation will humanrights Secondly,commitment to two“one country systems.” willgenuinelythat theChineseauthorities honortheir andthat HongKong peoplehope freedom ofexpression, K itdemonstrates that Hong first, nificance was three-fold: Rights Press Award Ireplied that thesig- inHongKong. winningaHuman is inamainlanddissidentwriter and anoverview onfreedom ofexpression InChina. Zhao Ouyang GaoQinrong andQingShuijun, Yan, Yi, as such writers detailing thestatus ofimprisoned or China’s andencourage dissidentwriters themtoper- le,andawaken theChinesepeopletoleadChinaa alues, ranslated by StacyMosher ong peoplenow enjoy.Thirdly, through thisaward that HongKongong isafree residents society, have udsbetm omr fiilpreuin Ireplied ould subjectmetomore official persecution. n yurenquan.org/ryrq_article.adp?article_id=296. on charges ofincitement tosubverton charges state power. w andembezzlement.Veteranof bribery HuangJinqiu journalist oncharges December 1998andsentencedto12years inprison withtheofficiala reporter XinhuaNews was detainedin Agency, GaoQinrong, Heiscurrently awaiting trial. Commission. Military news ofJiangZemin’s impendingresignation from the Central w Zhao for aresearcher theBeijing bureau of Yan, ofincitementtosubvert 2004oncharges in March state power. 05_judges.htm. http://www.amnesty.org.hk/materials/pressawardsHong Kong, I hopethat nextyear’s awards willalsoincludemain- askedAnother reporter meifwinningthisaward askedOne reporter mewhat specialsignificance there as detainedinSeptember2003andsentenced to12inprison as detainedinSeptember2004onsuspicionofhaving leaked e u Renquan Ren Yu : http://www. T he New York Times, 2 from ugliness. orbetterable beauty todiscern more intelligentthanIam, CensorshipInstruction Prussian can andcannotread? The reasoning inMarx’s what qualifies you todecidewhat booksI ask thisquestion: that Ihave they’rematerials to about.Again mostconcerned it’s printed prominently—but inmy personalexperience, itwasn’t displayed there wasmaterials—if very anything, Ididn’t seeanything regarding printed information. essary U lasttimethat Iwent toChinafrom the back als intoChina.The preventswhich materi- sensitive peoplefrom printed bringing turning newsturning intonews reporters censors. w backstage monitorandcontroller ofotherpeople’s spiritual andtherebyesces tothispolicingresponsibility, becomesthe operating auniversity deliberately orpassivelyWeb acqui- site, ev isthat Mostfrightening accesstotheInternet. tactic inbarring tive our official organs works ournational image. toruin every but inreality, actionof improving ournational image, them would appear.The government constantly talksabout your themore inspectionof serious longer they were held, that figuring the but justletthemsit, n’t even lookat them, didyou find anything inthem?Maybe harmful you did- book, Y f andthebookswere heldby customs it intosomethingsinister, view but thewarped ofmainlandofficialdom twisted gesture, thisshouldhave beenconsidered akind judgment, normal from scholars ByanyTaiwan donated somebooksandpapers. agroup ofveteran journalism communications department, decide what booksIcanandcannotread? What qualifies thecustomsoffice to t lal,smoehdrfe hog h ok.It’s worth through thebooks. someonehadrifled Clearly, it. ve K or halfayear before beingdelivered totheirfinal destination. ou customs officials, after looking through each andevery afterlookingthrough each ou customsofficials, ong’s MingPao Publishing.The ina bookshadbeenpacked S,there was anelectronic screen at customsdisplaying nec- .S., orld.Turning webmasters into Web monitorsissimilarto r emse,perhaps even webmaster, ery every involved instructor in ry The seventh makesThis article clearthat policingremains animportant expulsion ifhedidn’t mendhisways. himandthreatened sternly warned himwith instructor called intotheuniversity’s where an center, indoctrination once again loggedontoanoverseas Chinese hewas Web site, afterhe andsoonafterward, raisedhisnameinclass, teacher ued tologontooverseas a Chinese Web aresult, sites.As andshouldnotendangerhisfuture onawhim. with politics, also madeitclearthat thestudentshouldn’t himself concern because astudent’s He every move oncampusismonitored.” get away whatever withwriting you like ontheInternet, nMrh1,Ireceived 20samplecopiesof 10, On March When Peking University first established and itsjournalism [

Huiwang Nongmin sturdy cardboard box, but a big hole had been ripped in but abigholehadbeenripped sturdy cardboardbox, h tdn huh ohn fi ttetm,andcontin- The studentthoughtnothingofitat thetime, 8 stone inthepigstywall isthecustomsoffice, May Iaskifyou canmake that claim? ,abookofminepublished by Hong ], suggests that you are demonstrably 7 Critique oftheLatest P easant Retrospec-

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mentioning that the hole had not been cut with a knife, but on copies of his English newspapers to me after he had read rather had been torn by hand.This would have required con- them, so my students could have a look at some of the world’s siderable strength—even a wild beast, not to mention a per- great newspapers. I readily agreed. But after he had mailed son, would have difficulty creating such a hole. copies to me a couple of times, he said the packages were Using a knife would have been much easier, so why didn’t being returned to him as “recipient [Jiao Guobiao] unknown,” they use a knife? I think it was out of fear.The Constitution even though other letters and packages he sent were delivered states that citizens have the right to free access to the mail, so without any difficulty.Whatever the reason, the episode made the inspectors didn’t dare cut the box open with a knife, but me very unhappy.I had intended to expand my students’ how else could they satisfy their curiosity? As a compromise worldview; after all, they were university journalism students, between the Constitution and their curiosity,they ripped the and how could they learn about journalism if they never saw a box open by hand to make it look like the box had been dam- foreign newspaper? aged through rough handling in transit. Being aware of proper The ninth stinking stone is the high cost of long-distance human behavior but acting like a wild beast is comparable to a telephone calls as a means of discouraging communication drug addict who is unable to break his habit even though he between China and the West. It’s extremely expensive to make a knows it is harmful. phone call from China to the U.S., more expensive than calling When I went through customs, the customs officers had to China from the U.S. On December 31, 2004, I checked into the see what was in my computer; when they detained Yu Jie and costs and discovered that calling the U.S. from China costs 0.80 Liu Xiaobo,9 they copied the contents of their computers.Why yuan for six seconds, while calling China from the U.S. costs are you so curious about people’s spiritual lives? Since you’re only pennies per minute.The same telephone lines are used to so curious, why don’t you go the whole way and cut a hole in call into and out of the country,and Chinese residents earn everyone’s skull so you can have a clear view? What officials of much less than Americans, so why do they have to pay more? any respectable country would act so contemptibly? The eighth stone is the strict control of subscriptions to When the cost of disseminating overseas publications. University libraries should be the most well-stocked repositories of information, but in actuality they information drops, an information contain only an extremely limited number of overseas publica- monopoly is harder to maintain. tions. Even at Peking University,considered China’s best uni- versity,the number of overseas publications is lamentably From a purely economic standpoint, the Chinese long-dis- small. In the periodicals room there are only about ten publica- tance telephone system is still a monopoly,which would help tions from Hong Kong or Taiwan. Ming Pao Monthly and Open Mag- to explain the high fees. But after reading Li Xiguang’s book, azine are not there, nor are publications such as Dongxiang.10 I’m Core Journalism,11 I gained a new insight into the high cost of sure that other university libraries have even fewer overseas China’s long-distance telephone system.The book observes publications, and technical institutes more than likely have no that in the 1990s, China still tightly controlled the supply of foreign publications at all. photocopying machines, and purchasing rights were In China there are strict regulations controlling what restricted.According to a professor at Peking University,even bureaucratic grade is authorized to subscribe to what kind of university departments were not allowed to have photocopiers. overseas publication. Ordinary people are not allowed overseas The only photocopier was located in the university’s guest- subscriptions of any kind. In 1996 I went to work for Zhongguo house, which also housed the only fax machine.Why was this? Wenhua Bao [China Cultural Daily], and the newspaper’s library Because these machines could be used to disseminate informa- subscribed to Ming Pao Monthly. In 1997 I found the subscription tion! When I read this, I was shocked. How can a society be so had been discontinued.When I asked why,the manager said hostile to the dissemination of information? that since Hong Kong’s return to Chinese sovereignty,sub- North Korea has only one radio station, and recently a new scriptions to Ming Pao Monthly were restricted to a higher regulation came out banning the use of cellular phones by bureaucratic level; our newspaper, a departmental grade unit, ordinary citizens. Last year I read a newspaper article reporting didn’t qualify for a subscription, as only ministry grade units that Cuba had detained an American diplomat for buying a cel- qualified. I asked why this was so, and the manager said that lular phone for a Cuban. Hundreds of years ago, the Roman the opinions expressed in Ming Pao Monthly regarding Hong Catholic Church suppressed Gutenberg’s use of moveable type Kong’s return to Chinese sovereignty were not acceptable on to print the Bible. Hundreds of years before that, the Church the mainland, so its readership was being more tightly restricted the use of Arabian paper in place of parchment in restricted.The more restricted the readership, the smaller the producing Bibles.Why? When the cost of disseminating infor- circulation and the more limited the publication’s influence. I mation drops, an information monopoly is harder to maintain. believe this is an accurate explanation. Up until I left the news- Is this the real reason for the high cost of China’s long-distance paper in 2001, I never saw another copy of Ming Pao Monthly. telephone calls? Is it a revival of the old impetus behind the Chinese university journalism students, whether at the Roman Church’s ban on moveable type? undergraduate or graduate level, have virtually no opportunity Another obstacle to telephone communication between to see what major overseas newspapers look like. In early China and the outside world is the blocking of caller I.D. for 2004, a French journalist based in Beijing said he would pass telephone numbers outside of China. If you receive a phone call