The China Thread

[Valmy]

Disney is a big Chinese market enthusiast so that does not surprise me.

[FunkMonk]

What is the context of that image? Why even show a map of the PRC at all? Just show their damn flag if you want a visual depiction of the PRC. Was this on American television? Don't broadcast PRC propaganda, dumbasses.

That is so stupid I'm wondering if it's even real. Is that a Photoshop?

ESPN sucks ass anyway.

[Syt]

It may be related to this. https://deadspin.com/internal-memo-espn-forbids-discussion-of-chinese-polit-1838881032

[Syt]

Also: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/highlight/2019/10/10/espn-slammed-over-china-nba-coverage-for-using-9-dash-line-map/

BEIJING: Sports network ESPN faced fresh criticism of its coverage of a row between the NBA and China after using a map that appeared to endorse the country's claims to both Taiwan and disputed territories in the South China Sea.

A now-deleted tweet by Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey last week supporting anti-government protests in Hong Kong has sparked a massive backlash in China, with a fan event cancelled and Chinese partners cutting ties with the NBA.

An ESPN broadcast on Wednesday morning in the United States showed a map of China that included both Taiwan, a self-ruled island that Beijing regards as a renegade province, and the so-called "nine-dash line," a feature used on official Chinese maps to illustrate disputed claims to vast expanses of the strategically important South China Sea.

The use of the map, which had a 10-dash version of the line, was visible in a video uploaded to YouTube by an ESPN journalist.

An ESPN broadcast earlier in the week had used a map of China that did not include those features.

China has never renounced the use of force to bring democratic Taiwan under its control. All maps published in China must show Taiwan as one of the country's provinces.

China, the Philippines, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei all have territorial claims in the South China Sea, making it one of the biggest potential flashpoints in the Asia-Pacific region.

ESPN, which has a multibillion-dollar content rights deal with NBA, had already faced strong criticism online this week after a report that its anchors had been forbidden from talking about the political side of the row.

Sports news website Deadspin published a story on Tuesday that said that an internal memo from Chuck Salituro, ESPN's senior news director, had forbidden anchors from discussing the political situation in Hong Kong, telling them to focus on the sports angle instead.

An ESPN source with knowledge of the matter said that emails to employees from Salituro had reiterated ESPN's stance that politics should only be discussed as it related to sports.

This stance has been in place for a year and a half, the source said.

ESPN did not respond to a request for comment on the use of the map.

Walt Disney Co, which owns 80% of ESPN, did not respond to requests for comment on the use of the map or the Deadspin report.

[Berkut]

This is a total prisoners dilemma issue.

China needs American companies a lot more than we actually need them, and if everyone just agreed to refuse any accomodation with their silliness, China would have to stop making those demands.

But the free market is terrible at handling prisoner dilemma because there is always someone for him their immediate best interest is to cave.

[Valmy]

Texas played the University of Washington fightin' Katmais back in 2015 in Men's Basketball in China and it was televised on ESPN and I swear to God the entire broadcast was just about how amazing China was, every once in a while some basketball talk might have occurred. You just kind of expect that when Disney and China are involved.

[Razgovory]

Wouldn't it be neat if Trump gives up US protection for Taiwan in return for a trade deal?

[Sheilbh]

Wouldn't it be neat if Trump gives up US protection for Taiwan in return for a trade deal?

Were the Taiwanese in Normandy?

[Admiral Yi]

What is the context of that image? Why even show a map of the PRC at all? Just show their damn flag if you want a visual depiction of the PRC. Was this on American television? Don't broadcast PRC propaganda, dumbasses.

That is so stupid I'm wondering if it's even real. Is that a Photoshop?

ESPN sucks ass anyway.

I was wondering the same thing.  Unless they were doing a story about travel distances for Chinese league away games.

Google gave me several stories, so not shopped.

[Josquius]

Taiwan, OK, I get it.
But the South China Sea islands stuff....that's just stupid. Even ignoring that their claim is a load of bollocks...For which other country would you draw a line in the sea like that on a map?  When do you ever see a dotty line covering the Ogasawara Islands for Japan? Never.

It appears to be a version of the Nine-Dash line, which China uses to assert sovereignty over the South China Sea.

Yes. That's what it is.
But my point is even if we assume that region of sea and everything in it is 100% without a doubt Chinese.... It's bizzare to mark it on a map like so

[Monoriu]

But my point is even if we assume that region of sea and everything in it is 100% without a doubt Chinese.... It's bizzare to mark it on a map like so

The nine dash line is very common on the Mainland.  Failure to show the line is unpatriotic. 

[Razgovory]

Wouldn't it be neat if Trump gives up US protection for Taiwan in return for a trade deal?

Were the Taiwanese in Normandy?

The Koreans were, but Trump doesn't want to help them either.  Well, at least not the South Koreans.

[Solmyr]

It's kind of like in Russia it's illegal to show a map that doesn't have Crimea as part of Russia.

[Camerus]

This is a total prisoners dilemma issue.

China needs American companies a lot more than we actually need them, and if everyone just agreed to refuse any accomodation with their silliness, China would have to stop making those demands.

But the free market is terrible at handling prisoner dilemma because there is always someone for him their immediate best interest is to cave.

Which is why if this issue continues American firms may need some kind of US government protection, eg language built into trade agreements that US firms can't be punished when American citizens exercise free speech while in America. Of course, that would require an enforcement mechanism, something which hasn't proved terribly effective in disputes so far - but will have to be more effective in the future for frankly a broad array of alleged abuses. And of course, it would be almost impossible to prevent individual nationalist consumers from staging boycotts.

Still, it would be much better than having individual firms at the mercy of Beijing.

[Syt]

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/10/10/us/hong-kong-washington-wizards-game-trnd/index.html

Pro-Hong Kong signs were confiscated at the Washington Wizards game

(CNN)Several fans standing with a sign reading "Free Hong Kong" and "Google: Uyghurs" had them confiscated prior to a game between the Washington Wizards and the Guangzhou Loong Lions at the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC, Wednesday night.

The incidents were posted on Twitter and detail two separate interactions with arena officials who can be heard telling the group of fans "no political signs."

Scott Hall, a spokesman for the Wizards, confirmed the incident, telling CNN: "The building security staff removed signs tonight in accordance with Capital One Arena's long-standing Signs, Banners, Posters, and Flag Policy." Hall said no fans were asked to leave the game.

This is the second incident of security engaging with fans at NBA games over pro-Hong Kong signs this week. On Tuesday, two fans were ejected from a 76ers game at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia for after holding signs and chanting in solidarity with pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong.

Hall said the signs at Wednesday's game specifically violated the following elements of the stadium policy:

"Item may not be constructed or displayed in a manner that may obstruct the view of other guests, interrupt the experience of other guests, or create a safety hazard."

"Item may not be commercial or political in nature."

Jodi Fick, spokeswoman for the arena, had no additional comment.