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Sunday 27 September 2009
Banned history book’s Hong Kong release to go ahead despite warnings
The author of a history book banned on the mainland for criticising traditional Chinese culture has decided to defy the authorities’ orders not to release the work in Hong Kong.
Banned history book’s Hong Kong release to go ahead despite warnings
Minnie Chan 26 September 2009
The author of a history book banned on the mainland for criticising traditional Chinese culture has decided to defy the authorities’ orders not to release the work in Hong Kong.
Xiao Jiansheng, 54, said Chinese History Revisited would go on sale on Monday despite his being told by mainland authorities earlier this week to scrap the plan.
Xiao said his Hong Kong publisher told him it was “too late to stop”.
Xiao, a veteran journalist with the Hunan Daily, the province’s official newspaper, said he had tendered his resignation to the newspaper.
He spent the past 20 years researching and writing the 450-page book, which questions traditional values such as obedience to authorities and the centralisation of power.
“I don’t think I have done anything wrong, I will defend my civil rights. Our freedom of speech and press is guaranteed in the constitution,” he said. “But I decided to resign so my colleagues won’t be affected.”
Xiao’s book takes a similar line to The Ugly Chinaman and the Crisis of Chinese Culture and the documentary River Elegy - two works that caused controversies and sparked intense intellectual debate. It examines thousands of years of Chinese civilisation without directly touching on the past six decades of communist rule.
The publishing arm of the prestigious Chinese Academy of Social Sciences agreed to publish the book two years ago. But authorities banned it at the last minute.
Last month, Xiao was approached by Bao Pu, of New Century Press in Hong Kong, who wanted to help him publish the book here. Bao Pu is the son of Bao Tong - the most senior Chinese official jailed over the 1989 Tiananmen protests.
Bao Pu also published the explosive secret memoirs of Zhao Ziyang - who was sacked as party chief for opposing the crackdown on the June 4 movement - in Hong Kong just before the 20th anniversary of the 1989 incident.
The sensitive background of the publisher added a new twist to Xiao’s efforts to get his book published. He said officials from the Ministry of National Security intervened and asked him to scrap the plan.
“They put a lot of pressure on my editors [at the newspaper],” Xiao said. “I was told to withdraw copyright from Bao because of his ‘complex background’. They basically suggested that publishing this book now was intended to crash the [anniversary] party.”
Xiao said his publication plan has been unnecessarily politicised.
“I was told top officials in Beijing suspected that Bao wanted to use my book to sabotage the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic,” he said.
“My editors questioned me in great detail as to how we met each other and what exactly is our relationship. In fact, I have never met Bao face to face. We just contacted each other through e-mails and phone calls.”
Bao denied the timing of the publication had anything to do with the 60th anniversary. “I like the book because it offers systematic analysis of Chinese culture and makes interesting suggestions for China’s democratic development. You can see it’s a pure academic work,” he said.
Xiao said he had never thought of giving up despite all the pressure.
“Although the book is banned [on the mainland], I have never lost faith that it will be published one day,” he writes in the book’s preface. “I believe Chinese civilisation will progress and nobody can turn the clock back. [Establishing] a modern government that respects individual rights and freedom is the trend of history.”
Now, with copies of his book finally ready to hit the shelves next week, Xiao said he was happy and contented.
But he is also “prepared to face the worst”.
“It is worth the risk. With so many things in our history having been misinterpreted or even twisted, I hope my book encourages people to re-examine Chinese culture and find out the truth,” he said.
1 comment:
Banned history book’s Hong Kong release to go ahead despite warnings
Minnie Chan
26 September 2009
The author of a history book banned on the mainland for criticising traditional Chinese culture has decided to defy the authorities’ orders not to release the work in Hong Kong.
Xiao Jiansheng, 54, said Chinese History Revisited would go on sale on Monday despite his being told by mainland authorities earlier this week to scrap the plan.
Xiao said his Hong Kong publisher told him it was “too late to stop”.
Xiao, a veteran journalist with the Hunan Daily, the province’s official newspaper, said he had tendered his resignation to the newspaper.
He spent the past 20 years researching and writing the 450-page book, which questions traditional values such as obedience to authorities and the centralisation of power.
“I don’t think I have done anything wrong, I will defend my civil rights. Our freedom of speech and press is guaranteed in the constitution,” he said. “But I decided to resign so my colleagues won’t be affected.”
Xiao’s book takes a similar line to The Ugly Chinaman and the Crisis of Chinese Culture and the documentary River Elegy - two works that caused controversies and sparked intense intellectual debate. It examines thousands of years of Chinese civilisation without directly touching on the past six decades of communist rule.
The publishing arm of the prestigious Chinese Academy of Social Sciences agreed to publish the book two years ago. But authorities banned it at the last minute.
Last month, Xiao was approached by Bao Pu, of New Century Press in Hong Kong, who wanted to help him publish the book here. Bao Pu is the son of Bao Tong - the most senior Chinese official jailed over the 1989 Tiananmen protests.
Bao Pu also published the explosive secret memoirs of Zhao Ziyang - who was sacked as party chief for opposing the crackdown on the June 4 movement - in Hong Kong just before the 20th anniversary of the 1989 incident.
The sensitive background of the publisher added a new twist to Xiao’s efforts to get his book published. He said officials from the Ministry of National Security intervened and asked him to scrap the plan.
“They put a lot of pressure on my editors [at the newspaper],” Xiao said. “I was told to withdraw copyright from Bao because of his ‘complex background’. They basically suggested that publishing this book now was intended to crash the [anniversary] party.”
Xiao said his publication plan has been unnecessarily politicised.
“I was told top officials in Beijing suspected that Bao wanted to use my book to sabotage the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic,” he said.
“My editors questioned me in great detail as to how we met each other and what exactly is our relationship. In fact, I have never met Bao face to face. We just contacted each other through e-mails and phone calls.”
Bao denied the timing of the publication had anything to do with the 60th anniversary. “I like the book because it offers systematic analysis of Chinese culture and makes interesting suggestions for China’s democratic development. You can see it’s a pure academic work,” he said.
Xiao said he had never thought of giving up despite all the pressure.
“Although the book is banned [on the mainland], I have never lost faith that it will be published one day,” he writes in the book’s preface. “I believe Chinese civilisation will progress and nobody can turn the clock back. [Establishing] a modern government that respects individual rights and freedom is the trend of history.”
Now, with copies of his book finally ready to hit the shelves next week, Xiao said he was happy and contented.
But he is also “prepared to face the worst”.
“It is worth the risk. With so many things in our history having been misinterpreted or even twisted, I hope my book encourages people to re-examine Chinese culture and find out the truth,” he said.
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