A thread on how self-censorship in regards to China works... from someone who is about to start self-censoring on the topic /1
The last week has been peppered with issues that are have made me feel more vulnerable than any other point in time in my nearly nine years in this country that I have fallen in (and increasingly out of) love with. /2
While nothing about the written rules that govern my life in Beijing have changed as a result of the national security law (NSL), the writing on the wall is clear, and now is not a time to be a vocal critic. /3
Takes on the NSL by china watchers that I respect have come across as borderline hyperbolic. But it’s difficult to not see that the potential worst-case scenario for this law and the tone that it sets is worth taking seriously. /4
Add to this several incidents over the last few days that have happened to far more notable foreigners and local critics, and the pattern becomes clearer that the powers that be are playing hardball. /5
I don’t think I’m nearly important enough to warrant anything significant, but I spent the weekend looking at photos from a year before, when I was watching fireworks in my hometown with my nieces in my lap. /6
It hurt me to know that this year, I couldn’t do that again because of the pandemic. It then dawned on me that the PRC has no qualms about tossing foreigners into a dark pit for a few years on trumped up charges. /7
If it hurts to miss the sound of my niece’s voices in wonder at the pyrotechnical show of the 4th of July for just one year, how much might it hurt to miss more? /8
I can bear another year or two here to climb the career ladder at the cost of a quieter tone and avoiding certain issues. Mind you, if the costs grow much beyond that, I’ll call my chapter in China done early and move on. /9
Professionally, some of my Tweets have been sent to my employer by multiple different email accounts. The names and personal details are not known to my organization or myself, but their assertions are… frustrating. /10
Rather than engage in a reply or attempt to send a DM, those involved took the time to find out where I work (despite no such info in my profile, it’s not tricky to find this out) and attempt to cross these parts of my life. /11
My higher-ups did not find my activities to violate any internal rules, but they noted concern about expressing political views in the current climate, and one directly linked it to my personal safety. /12
Beyond concerns over what that means for myself, I also cannot ignore the implications for my colleagues. I believe that the powers that be are sufficiently vindictive as to punish my organization for unassociated beliefs put up by an employee. /13
It’s not worth the risk to my coworkers, who could be impacted by even indirect ties to me. I will not have my foreign colleagues scurry away from jobs they feel secure in just because of 240 characters that I wrote. /14
Nor will I tolerate my Chinese colleagues running the risk of guilt by even faint association plaguing them as they attempt to develop a career when such a black mark can easily be the kiss of death to their own aspirations. /15
It seems clear to me that the China that I first knew when I came for a semester abroad in 2010 is gone. The PRC wants foreign investment, technology, expertise, and brands, but it does not want foreigners or our opinions. /16
Even in this post about self-censorship, I have felt obligated to leave out numerous details, both for my own prospects as well as to insulate others from drawing the ire of the wrong crowds. /17
To the swine responsible for this whole state of affairs: Congrats. You won. You cowed me into toning down my views. In doing so, you have sabotaged one of my favorite impressions about the culture that you wear as a fig leaf for your true nature. /18
Chinese people can get on with basically anyone. Warm, welcoming and inquisitive citizens are now being deprived of yet more voices that might satiate their desire to know the world better. You’re stealing that from them. /19
Final notes: I’ll still be posting, but will focus more on the professional side of my life. Expect to hear more about foreign businesses in China, and less back and forth with Chinese state-media and diplomats. /20
In the meantime, I look forward to the day I feel safe enough to again have public opinions about this country I've called home for a decade, which will likely necessitate leaving it for good. /end
