Why the Chinese Government Bans the Posting of Images of Rich People – Luxury Food, Luxury Cars
Tucking into a sumptuous meal, swooning over expensive jewelry, or driving around in a foreign luxury car: ……
These elegant images may disappear from China’s social networking sites. According to the New York Times, the Chinese government is censoring “flashy images that brag about having money.
According to the New York Times, the Chinese government is censoring “flashy images that boast about having money. On December 17, 2009, the distribution of “Mokpan,” content showing gluttony, was banned.
The Chinese government considers foreign Internet information to be harmful and has blocked it with its Great Firewall Internet monitoring and censorship system. Even in China, comments critical of the government have been shut down, but the monitoring and censorship system is about to be applied in earnest to the casual posts of ordinary people.
Frustration of the “have-nots
What is the purpose of banning images of people boasting about their wealth? Journalist Satoshi Tomisaka, a professor at Takushoku University and an expert on Chinese affairs, tells us.
There are several possible reasons. One is to correct the economic disparity. President Xi Jinping has adopted the slogan of ‘common wealth’ to improve the lives of all the people. He probably thinks that the image of “boasting of riches” is against this purpose.
It is true that China’s urban areas have become richer, but the rural areas are poorer than the Japanese imagine. They are afraid that the people without wealth who see the images will explode in frustration. But I don’t think that banning the posting of images is going to be a fundamental solution to the economic disparity.
The second reason, according to Mr. Tomisaka, is the crackdown on China’s greatly disrupted Internet environment. Mr. Tomisaka continues.
The second reason is that China’s Internet environment is in great disarray,” Mr. Tomisaka continues, “The posts by the wealthy are so out of the ordinary. A man who lost his watch at a ski resort once posted the following. A man who lost his watch at a ski resort once wrote, “I’ll give a reward of 6 million yen (in Japanese yen) to the person who finds it. According to the man, the watch he lost was worth 400 million yen. The fact that he was wearing such an expensive watch even when skiing makes one wonder about the sensibilities of the wealthy Chinese.
There have also been many scams on the Internet. Jade (a dark green gemstone) is very popular in China, and there are many stories of people who have invested in it and seen their assets multiply many times over. It has become a hotbed of crime. The disruption of the Internet environment is unparalleled in Japan.
The third is the existence of influencers. On December 20, viya, the “Queen of Chinese Live Commerce,” was fined about 24 billion yen for tax evasion.
On December 20, viya, known as the “Queen of Chinese Live Commerce,” was fined about 24 billion yen for tax evasion. “Popular influencers can make as much as 100 million yen in a day. They are not afraid to show off how wealthy they are. This is a very unrealistic behavior.
How do people who work hard every day to earn a little money perceive influencers? It’s like the honest man looks like a fool, isn’t it? Influencers are problematic in maintaining the work ethic and motivation of the common people,” said Tomisaka.
Although Xi Jinping emphasizes “common wealth,” in reality there is a clear economic disparity. The ban on images of “boasting of riches” may symbolize the contradictions that China is facing.
Photo: AFP/Afro