New | Will China's censors rob its anti-corruption chief of his favourite TV show, 'House Of Cards'?
Effective from this month, new censorship rules on foreign TV shows place tougher restrictions on whether content providers in Mainland China, especially those capital-rich web portals like Sohu, can import foreign shows like House of Cards and The Big Bang Theory, which have been becoming increasingly popular among young Chinese audiences.
The new rules for imports of foreign TV shows state all new shows can only be imported and broadcast to Chinese audiences at least six month after their debut so the government can have enough time to censor the content. Content related to murder, violence, sex and psychopathy must be carefully handled or cut if necessary, Chinese media reported this week.
When the last season of House of Cards was released in early 2014, Chinese audiences enjoyed the drama the same day as its debut on Netflix’s online video-streaming service in the United States, making House of Cards an instant hit for Chinese fans who said they were enthralled by the show’s acting and a dramatic storyline that heavily featured US-China relations.
Sohu, one of China's main web portals which hosted House of Cards Season 2, said the series received more than eight million views in the first day it was made available.
Wang, often referred to as President Xi Jinping's right-hand man, has been very open about his fondness for House of Cards, according to various media reports. Hong Kong-based magazine Phoenix Weekly reported last year that Wang highlighted the role of the “party whip” (Kevin Spacey's position at the beginning of the series) in maintaining party discipline in the US legislature.
Despite the government's efforts to censor and control foreign TV content, Chinese audiences are adept at finding ways around the restrictions.
“You can find pirated version of House of Cards easily on the internet – some now with Chinese subtitles, so it’s even better for Wang Qishan to enjoy,” said one posting on Sina Weibo in response to an online discussion about the show's banning.
Other commentators on social media doubted Wang would have any problems in finding the new season as they say the US government should have some “special channels” for communications with Wang and other senior Chinese leaders if they are interested in anything from America.
More than 600 million Chinese people – almost half the nation’s population – have internet access. Many, in particular the younger generation, have turned to small screens such as laptop and smartphones rather than old-fashioned TV sets for movies and TV dramas, making the government increasingly concerned about how to tighten the control of ideology in cyberspace.