Internet concerts and live entertainment became popular during the pandemic. A new regulation puts them under strict control.
by Zhou Kexin
During the COVID-19 epidemic, Chinese love for concerts and live performances largely moved online. Reportedly, China is now the world leader for both productions and audiences of online shows. This did not escape the vigilant eye of the CCP, which was told by Xi Jinping time and again to increase its surveillance and control of whatever happens on the web.
On September 21, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism published a draft “Notice of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism on Regulating the Operation of Online Performances (Programs) to Promote the Healthy and Orderly Development of the Industry,” opening it for comments until October 10. The publication of drafts for comments is a purely cosmetic exercise of pseudo-democracy. Changes following the comments, if any, are never substantial.
The regulation notes that, “In recent years, due to the impact of the epidemic, some companies choose to offer live or recorded versions through the Internet to provide concerts and other performance content to meet the spiritual and cultural needs of the people.” The authorities want to “guide the healthy and orderly development of the new industry.”
The regulation applies to “music, dance, drama and other cultural performances,” including operas and circus and acrobat shows.
“Foreign” performances, i.e., those “whose participants include foreign performers, or whose venues or recordings are overseas, or whose copyrights of virtual actors and virtual stage performances belong to foreign-funded institutions or foreign personnel” are allowed only with the authorization and after a careful “content review” by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
As for the performances that are not “foreign,” Article 6 of the new regulation refers to Article 16 of the “Interim Provisions on the Management of Internet Culture,” which means that are prohibited inter alia “spreading rumors, disturbing social order, and undermining social stability,” and “promoting xie jiao and superstition.” “Xie jiao,” sometimes translated as “cults,” refers to “heterodox teachings” perceived as hostile to, or at least not supportive of, the government, but the category is widely interpreted by courts to include many forms of “illegal” religion. Religious and spiritual practices not approved by the CCP are by definition part of “superstition.”
And why should Internet performances indulge in illegal religion or criticism of the Party? They should be busy promoting “core socialist values,” or so the regulation says.
