China

The slow Worldcon train wreck

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We’re down to the month of the Chengdu Worldcon, and things aren’t shaping up well. At this point, it’s pointless for me to urge people not to go. Either you’ve made firm plans or you aren’t going. All I can do is advise you to be careful if you are going.

The much-hyped, still under construction convention center isn’t big enough to accommodate the biggest events. At least for Chinese attendees, admission to the opening, closing, and Hugo ceremonies will be by lottery. Hugo nominees and GoHs will be allowed in, as will people from far away if they’ve jumped through the right hoops.
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Will the real Chengdu con chair please stand up?

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A recent announcement from the Chengdu Worldcon adds to the abnormal level of hype over the slogan and the mascot’s name for the con. But I’ve already written about that. Something else is very weird.

Yao Haijun, the full-time chairman of the 2023 Chengdu Worldcon and president of the Chengdu Science Fiction Association…

Liang Xiaolan, the full-time chairman of the 2023 Chengdu Worldcon and the vice president of the Chengdu Science Fiction Association…

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#WritersSupportUyghurs campaign to answer Chengdu Worldcon

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The World Uyghur Congress has announced an online panel discussion on October 17, 2023. This date was chosen as the day before the 2023 Worldcon opens in Chengdu.

The press release quotes science fiction writer Andrew Gillsmith as saying:

The Chinese government wants to use Worldcon as a sort of Potemkin Village in order to showcase how futuristic and technologically advanced the country has become. Meanwhile, they are interning people in concentration camps, forcibly separating children from their families, conscripting Uyghurs into slave labour schemes, and implementing the most comprehensive and technologically sophisticated surveillance regime in history. Science fiction writers and fans have a longstanding tradition of standing for human rights. This is in the spirit of that tradition.

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China Worldcon is selling “tickets” and merchandising mascot

This entry was posted in Commentary News and tagged China conventions science fiction on by

There isn’t much news I can find about the Chengdu Science Fiction Museum, which is the site of next month’s Worldcon. The Zaha Hadid Architects website describes it as “under construction” and shows only drawings of it. However, my search turned up information on how memberships and related merchandise are being sold. I refer you to this article by Steve Davidson on the Amazing Stories website. It links to a File 770 article which I’d overlooked.

The news is that the Chengdu Worldcon is selling “tickets” through what is described as “a Ticketmaster-style service.” As Davidson notes, fan-run conventions don’t sell tickets; they sell memberships. The difference is that members have the opportunity to participate in large and small ways. Most aren’t listed on the program, but they can help with setup and breakdown, ask questions at panels, talk with pros at kaffeeklatsches, join discussions in the con suite, sing in the filksings, etc. That’s different from conventions such as the big comic cons, where the emphasis is more on hearing speakers in large halls, buying merchandise, getting photos and autographs, and so on. Both are legitimate activities, but trying to mix the models always turns out badly.
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S. B. Divya declines Hugo nomination

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In early July, author S. B. Divya explained on her website why she declined a nomination for a Hugo Award and asked to be removed from the list of people nominated for another. I don’t know anything else about her beyond what I’ve read on her website, but what she’s said is exactly right.

Along with many other writers, I signed a petition last year against hosting the 2023 World Science Fiction Convention (AKA “WorldCon”) in Chengdu, China. The reason was to protest the Chinese government’s treatment of the Uyghur people in Xinjiang province. I believe that mass human rights violations and possible genocide have occurred in the region.

Read the whole statement here.

Chinese censorship in America

This entry was posted in Censorship Commentary and tagged censorship China on by

The other day I found a report by PEN America called “Made in Hollywood, Censored by Beijing.” There’s no visible date on it, but there are references to 2023, so it’s either recent or recently revised. It goes into detail about how American movie makers bend to the Chinese government’s will. It’s not the threat of arrest or property seizure that impels them, but economic and social pressure. “The Chinese Communist Party, in fact, holds major sway over whether a Hollywood movie will be profitable or not — and studio executives know it.”

Well-known actors can be affected even by what they say and do outside movies.
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US State Department travel advisory for China

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The US State Department currently has China at a Level 3 (reconsider travel) advisory level.

Summary: Reconsider travel to Mainland China due to the arbitrary enforcement of local laws, including in relation to exit bans, and the risk of wrongful detentions.

While there would be a certain “I told you so” satisfaction if anyone going to the Chengdu Worldcon lands in trouble, I’d rather forego the pleasure. If you have to go because of fannish obligations, keep your head down and concentrate on making it through.

In other news, the Chengdu Worldcon released a Hugo ballot to the Internet then pulled it.

Chengdu Worldcon GoH gets Putin appointment

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Congratulations to Sergei Lukianenko on being (probably) the first person ever to be both a guest of honor at a Worldcon and an appointee of Vladimir Putin. Putin appointed the loyal advocate of the war of aggression against Ukraine to Russia’s Civic Chamber. He’s also a guest of honor at the 2023 Chengdu Worldcon.

In an interview for the occasion he recommended “the establishment of some kind of federal structure that would publish books that are niche, but useful, educating the reader in the right values and the ability to think.” In other words, a government bureau to publish propaganda books. I’m sure he’d be glad to write some of them.

The Chengdu Worldcon’s speech code

This entry was posted in Commentary and tagged censorship China conventions fandom on by

The China Worldcon finally released a progress report, much later in the cycle than normal. The prospect of heavy Western attendance at the con is dead, but I’d like to focus here on the Code of Conduct, and in particular on the speech-related rules. The PR says:

Discrimination (based on but not limited to, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, age, sexual orientation,
gender identity, neuro-diversity, physical appearance, body size, or physical/mental disability) will
not be tolerated. Racism and politicization are where discrimination prevails.
 

Any acts of aggression, contempt, indifference or offensive words and abusive behavior are
unacceptable, such as judging people of color as less knowledgeable about fannish topics, or
provoking unrelated political topics to attack people of different beliefs. [Emphasis added]

The list of prohibited behaviors includes “comments that belittle or demean others” and “Costumes/Cosplay that are historically or otherwise offensive.”
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Dark clouds over the Chengdu Worldcon

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The video of the Chengdu presentation at Smofcon 2022 is up on YouTube. It provides some insight into how the 2023 Worldcon is going. Mostly, it’s going badly. The presentation was about a month ago, but I haven’t seen any significant change since then. Correct me if I’ve missed anything. My focus here isn’t on the logistical issues as such, but on the underlying problems.

PR #1 wasn’t out then and still isn’t out. Ben Yalow said that members won’t receive it “until everything is locked in to the satisfaction of people who get very nervous. … We’re holding off on releasing PR 1 until everything in PR 1 we know is absolutely, completely certain.”
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