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China Has Banned 1984 Along with the Letter ‘N’

By March 2, 2018News

It was recently announced that China’s President, Xi Jinping, has changed the law so a leader can stay in power for an indefinite amount of terms. This change has come with a new wave of censorship which has seen George Orwell’s novel 1984 banned, along with the letter ‘N’.

The China Digital Times has reported that the Beijing National People’s Conference has selected George Orwell’s famed novel to be banned, along with many other works that are deemed unsuitable. The phrase ‘Xi Zedong’, a combination of Mr Xi and former dictator Chairman Mao Zedong’s names, has also been banned as well as many other words, phrases, and images. The letter ‘N’ was also briefly banned but it remains unclear as to why.

Some suspect it may have just been a mistake whilst others speculate it could represent dissent. Charlie Smith, a co-founder of GreatFire.org, a site which helps viewers track and bypass Chinese censorship said to The Guardian: “[Censors] probably determined it was sensitive and then moved to add that content to the blacklist so others would not be able to post something similar,” he said, noting that the letter has now been freed. “I doubt that they actually put that much thought into it so sadly, the letter ‘N’ was a victim of this rash decision.”

Winnie the Pooh has also been banned in China after some have pointed out a similarity between the Chinese President and the honey-loving bear. Long-time observer of Chinese politics now retired from the City University of Hong Kong, Joseph Cheng, said of the new wave of censorship: “There will be even less tolerance of criticism.”



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2 Comments

  • Teresa says:

    It would be rather difficult to get along without the letter N. Look at the trouble in “The Wonderful O” when O was banned!

  • Suzanne says:

    Soooo, this is an audition for The Onion, right? Riiiiiight???

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