[Issue 103] China vs. Corporate America
Good morning!
This week I'm bringing in the voice of a subscriber, Emily Lin, who has been thinking a lot about China’s business influence on free speech. She offers a critical point of view that we can learn a lot from.
As always, I want to hear your thoughts. When you're done, hit reply and let us know how you feel about the issue.
- Nikita
P.S. All GIFs below have been added by me (shocking, I know!)
UPDATE: In the original issue of the newsletter, Emily chose to remain anonymous. She has since changed her mind so I have updated this version of the newsletter to give her the credit she deserves.
The moral cost of doing business with China has always existed. To operate in the country, international companies have had to concede to strict censorship of any topics deemed “sensitive” by the government.
In China, the massacre of Tiananmen Square is nowhere to be found online or in history books. The Taiwan emoji flag on iOS doesn’t exist. And now, any sympathetic support of the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement is erased to reveal only stories of violence.
Censorship exists as a tool for the Chinese government to control the conversation and activate nationalism in China, and has historically been contained within the country. So to now see this censorship spread to American companies and individuals is alarming.
Recently, a handful of US companies like the NBA and Blizzard have gotten heat for acquiescing to Chinese demands, and apologizing or banning pro-Hong Kong voices-- all to preserve commercial interests. China’s backlash is no joke. After the Houston Rocket manager tweeted (and quickly deleted) “Fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong”, broadcasters cut ties, sponsors withdrew, and searches for “Houston Rockets” and “Rockets” on Alibaba shopping sites disappeared.
Commercial conflict-of-interest extends beyond fear of angering a nationalist consumer base. More companies today have deep investment ties with China (including, in full disclosure, my own employer) that enforce compliance.
NBA and Blizzard are not alone in putting profits ahead of human rights. A quick search revealed a list of companies around the world that comply to Chinese censorship, including Vans, Nike, ESPN, Marriott, Gap, and even my personal favorite Muji.
Apple, one of the few tech companies playing in China, has taken on one of the most active roles in suppressing the Hong Kong people’s ability to mobilize. Under Chinese pressure, it removed a Hong Kong protest map app on the App Store, citing that the app “has been used in ways that endanger law enforcement and residents in Hong Kong.”
On the contrary, the majority of user reviews in the App Store had suggested that the app actually improved public safety. When companies echo the language of the Chinese government, they take part in reinforcing state propaganda that allows a country to erase others and alter history.
People fear criticizing China because the politics of the regions appear complex. Go use your rights to read about it.
Yes, Hong Kong is now a part of China, through a legal agreement with Britain, but its promised rights to free speech and political participation have been threatened. Hong Kong is fearful of losing their human rights to an authoritarian government that is notoriously brutal, who has forced Turkic Muslims into concentration camps, carried out torture against religious groups like Falun Gong, and operate tight citizen surveillance.
As a Taiwanese-American, I’m sympathetic. Taiwan is a thriving democracy (the first Asian country to legalize gay marriage!) that exits constantly under China’s military threat. Many of us see the erasure of Hong Kong or Taiwan as just the start to China’s larger imperial ambitions-- and a potential threat to human rights at large.
To see “woke” companies, individuals, and politicians cherry pick which human rights issues to care about is heartbreaking. I understand the sentiment of LeBron James’ controversial response to the NBA China drama: “I also don't think every issue should be everybody's problem as well”.
It’s too much to care about everything. But when our own freedom of speech is being eroded, it’s time to own up to the cost of partnering with China.
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Dig deeper into this week's topic with the following headlines...
Hong Kong Protests: US Lawmakers Pass Human Rights and Democracy Act. US lawmakers have shown support for the Hong Kong protesters by passing a bill that is aimed at maintaining human rights within the city. The bill needs to pass through the upper house and the Senate, still, but would mandate an annual review to ensure that Hong Kong has sufficient autonomy from China, to justify its special trading status. Speaker Nancy Pelosi was quoted saying "If America does not speak out for human rights in China because of commercial interest, then we lose all moral authority to speak out for human rights anyplace in the world." // BBC
Apple Bowed To China By Removing A Hong Kong Protests Map From Its App Store. In wake of the protests in Hong Kong, an app was created and crowdsourced by protest volunteers that allows for the real-time tracking of the city's protests. However, Apple has since removed the app from their iOS app store. In a statement, Apple said that the app was being "used in ways that endanger law enforcement and residents in Hong Kong". Apple has faced criticism for this decision by customers world wide. // QUARTZ
Apple CEO Tim Cook Defends Decision To Drop Hong Kong Protest Map From App Store After China Complaint. Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, recently issued a letter to all employees that defended the company's action in removing an app that allowed for the tracking of protests in Hong Kong. Cook defended the actions by saying that "National and international debates will outlive us all" and that they are important but they "do not govern the facts" and that it was in the best interest of the users to remove the app for their safety. However, Apple removed the app only after a state owned publication in China criticized the company. // FORTUNE
Google Employees Are Fighting Over Their Company's Decision To Ban A Hong Kong Protest Video Game App. Google employees have begun posting messages of solidarity with Hong Kong protestors on internal company message boards and mailing lists after the company decided to a remove a pro-Hong Kong protestor mobile game called "The Revoluton of Our Times". This has started an internal debate between pro-Chinese government employees who feel the discussions are inappropriate and employees who support the Hong Kong protestors and feel that big tech companies like the one they work for have an responsibility to help democratic movements. // VOX
Executives Rethink Social-Media Policies After China Dust-Up. Companies are rethinking their social media policies when it comes to taking vocal stands against other governments' policies. This comes after the Houston Rockets general manager caused the NBA to face consequences like losing sponsors and drew criticism from the Chinese government after tweeting his own criticism of the Chinese government. // AXIOS
Activision Blizzard Soften's Player's Punishment After Backlash. Activision Blizzard Inc announced they would not pay the prize money of $10,000 and instated a year long ban on an Esports competition winner who vocally supported the Hong Kong protestors during the competition. However, since the company announced this, many users have begun to threaten boycotting, and the company has since reduced the punishment to a 6 month ban, and will instead pay him his full winnings. // BLOOMBERG
Tariffs Threaten To Reshape Tech Industry. Tariffs from the US-China trade war are making the tech industries in both countries to re-think how and where they do business. The tech industries in the U.S. and China are interdependent. This article discusses how both sides are affected by the trade war and how they are trying to lessen their dependence on the other. // AXIOS
This week's headlines were curated by ABL's intern, Lora.
"When companies echo the language of the Chinese government, they take part in reinforcing state propaganda that allows a country to erase others and alter history."
- Emily Lin