NBA grovels for Chinese forgiveness

Dear Access member,

The satirical animated TV show South Park released a perfectly timed episode last week titled “Band in China” in which the elementary-school-going protagonists run into trouble with their heavy metal band biopic — because the film’s producers are relying on the Chinese market for funding. (If you’re in the U.S., watch here. Outside the U.S., it’s here on Youtube with Chinese subtitles.)

And then, just over the weekend, the National Basketball Association — one of the most successful American entertainment franchises in China — found itself on the hot seat in China because of a mere tweet from the general manager of the Houston Rockets team. You can hear some commentary from me about this on The World, from Public Radio International / NPR. 

Our word of the day is South Park: 南方公园 nánfāng gōngyuán.

—Jeremy Goldkorn, Editor-in-Chief

Screenshot from South Park episode linked above.

1. NBA grovels for Chinese forgiveness after ‘erroneous comments on Hong Kong’ by Houston Rockets GM

Over the weekend, one of the best-known general managers of an NBA team found himself smack-dab in the middle of an international political nightmare. 

• It started with an October 4 tweet, now deleted, in which Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey shared with his 200,000+ followers an image that said, “Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong.” This is a slogan that has become a refrain among demonstrators in the embattled city, which has just undergone its 18th straight weekend of protests. However, expressing support for anti-government protesters in Hong Kong is seen as insulting by pro-Beijing Chinese nationalists. 

• Morey was immediately swarmed by outraged Chinese internet users or bots, who spammed the replies to his tweet with “NMSL,” which stands for a Chinese internet insult meaning “Your mom died” (你妈死了 nǐ mā sǐ le). A data analysis of these commenters indicates that many could have been automated. 

• The Chinese Basketball Association, whose president is former Rockets star Yáo Míng 姚明, suspended its relationship with the team. And then Chinese companies like sportswear brand Li-Ning and SPD Bank began pulling sponsorships. 

The Rockets were, until now, the second-most-popular basketball team in China, after only the Golden State Warriors. They were probably the most popular team from 2002 to 2011, when Yao Ming was part of the team. In the years since, the NBA has become even more widely viewed (and profitable) in China. 

The NBA twists itself to please Beijing

Faced with a threat to its business, the NBA promptly groveled to the fullest extent, releasing a statement in English on October 6 on how Morey’s expressing his views had “deeply offended many of our friends and fans in China,” which the organization called “regrettable.” This echoed the “sorry you were offended” tone of Morey’s own half-apology. 

Even more grovely: The Chinese-language statement the NBA posted on Chinese social media, which closely resembled the statement of the Chinese Consulate in Houston that had said, “We are deeply shocked by the erroneous comments on Hong Kong.” Our translation:

We are extremely disappointed in the inappropriate remarks of Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey. He has undoubtedly severely hurt the feelings of Chinese fans.

Alibaba’s Joseph Tsai (蔡崇信 Cài Chóngxìn), co-founder and executive vice chairman of the Chinese internet giant and owner of the Brooklyn Nets then weighed in with a statement on Facebook that has horrified many critics. The essential argument is:

What is the problem with people freely expressing their opinion? This freedom is an inherent American value and the NBA has been very progressive in allowing players and other constituents a platform to speak out on issues.

The problem is, there are certain topics that are third-rail issues in certain countries, societies and communities.

Supporting a separatist movement in a Chinese territory is one of those third-rail issues, not only for the Chinese government, but also for all citizens in China.

The one thing that is terribly misunderstood, and often ignored, by the western press and those critical of China is that 1.4 billion Chinese citizens stand united when it comes to the territorial integrity of China and the country’s sovereignty over her homeland. This issue is non-negotiable. 

One of the companies Tsai’s Alibaba controls, Taobao, then followed up. Per Reuters reporter Keith Zhai’s tweet: “China’s largest e-commerce platform Taobao just announced it is removing all items linked to HoustonRockets following GM Daryl Morey’s comments on Hong Kong.”

• See also: ‘Stand with Hong Kong’? Not when N.B.A.’s Chinese fortune is on the line / NYT (porous paywall)

—Lucas Niewenhuis and Jeremy Goldkorn

2. Fears of an extradition agreement in Nepal

Khabarhub News of Nepal reports: 

Nepal is preparing to sign an extradition treaty with China during the Nepal visit by Chinese President Xí Jìnpíng 习近平 slated for mid-October… 

According to sources, a draft of the treaty has been readied. A meeting of Council of Ministers needs to endorse it before it is signed. It is still unclear when the Cabinet will approve the treaty.

The source added that Beijing has been pressing Kathmandu to sign the treaty during the visit by Chinese President Xi.

If the treaty is signed, Nepal and China can extradite crime-accused individuals to the concerned countries.

Experts worry that the northern neighbor is pressing to sign the treaty mainly to extradite Tibetans involved in ‘anti-China’ activities in Nepal.

—Jeremy Goldkorn

BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY:

• The instant noodle index?
  Does spike in instant noodle sales signal slump in China’s consumer spending? / SCMP

—Sharp recovery in sales renews talk of whether people are tightening their belts because of economic worries.

—Government argues that strong sales are a sign of upgraded consumption.

SCIENCE, HEALTH, AND THE ENVIRONMENT: 

• Selective breeding of pigs
  Why China is breeding giant pigs that are as heavy as polar bears / Bloomberg via Hindustan Times
  “The 500 kilogram, or 1,102 pound, animal is part of a herd that’s being bred to become giant swine. At slaughter, some of the pigs can sell for more than 10,000 yuan ($1,399), over three times higher than the average monthly disposable income in Nanning, the capital of Guangxi province where Pang Cong, the farm’s owner, lives.”
  Why are some farmers breeding such large swine? One factor is that the decimation of African swine fever has caused pork prices to rise, and the government has urged farmers to boost production. However:

…many farmers are wary about restocking swine after being hurt by an earlier outbreak. Also, piglet and breeding sow prices have surged, making it more expensive for backyard farms to afford rebuilding their herds. Increasing the size of pigs they already own may be the next best step.

• Daxing airport
  What does Beijing’s new mega airport mean for emissions? / China Dialogue
  “Daxing airport, which contains the world’s biggest airport terminal, will bring opportunity to the less developed south of Beijing but may increase air travel demand and carbon emissions.”

• Cotton on the moon
  China grows a cotton plant on the far side of the moon in a biological first / Digital Trends

The experiment was part of the Chang’e 4 project, in which China is exploring the far side of the moon with a lander…the team selected five species of biological organisms to send to the moon: Cotton seeds, potato seeds, arabidopsis seeds, yeast, and fruit-fly eggs. Most of these died quickly, but the cotton seeds sprouted and grew not one but two leaves. Although plants have been grown on the International Space Station before, this experiment marks the first time a plant has been grown on the moon.

However, despite the hardy cotton’s best efforts, the leaves died within one lunar day, which is equivalent to two weeks here on Earth.

POLITICS AND CURRENT AFFAIRS:

• U.S.-China techno-trade war
  China narrows scope for trade deal with U.S. ahead of talks / Bloomberg (porous paywall)
  “Chinese officials are signaling they’re increasingly reluctant to agree to a broad trade deal pursued by President Donald Trump, ahead of negotiations this week that have raised hopes of a potential truce.”

• Economic espionage in the U.S.
  Chinese professor accused of stealing tech secrets faces rare espionage trial / Bloomberg via LA Times

U.S. prosecutors say Hao Zhang is a professor-spy who conspired with a colleague from USC to steal and sell American secrets to the Chinese government and military through a shell company in the Cayman Islands.

Zhang’s lawyers will try to show at a trial set for Wednesday in San Jose that his work at one of China’s most prestigious technical universities to develop radio-filtering technology used in mobile phones has always been about advancing scientific knowledge — and not for the benefit of the Chinese state.

• Xinjiang internment camps
  Abortions, IUDs and sexual humiliation: Muslim women who fled China for Kazakhstan recount ordeals / Washington Post

The women have found refuge from Chinese authorities across the border in Kazakhstan, their ancestral homeland. But they remain haunted by the stories of abuse they carry with them.

Some said that they were forced to undergo abortions in China’s Muslim-majority province of Xinjiang, others that they had contraceptive devices implanted against their will while in detention. One reported being raped. Many said they were subjected to sexual humiliation, incidents that included being filmed in the shower and having their intimate parts rubbed with chile paste.

• Xinjiang’s Uyghur camps orphan children / Foreign Policy (porous paywall)
  “Repression in Xinjiang leaves tens of thousands of children without parents.”

• Hong Kong protests
  Hong Kong court brings first charges for violation of mask ban / Radio Free Asia
  “Authorities in Hong Kong on Monday charged the first two people with violating a hugely unpopular mask ban passed by chief executive Carrie Lam [林鄭月娥 Lín Zhèng Yuè’é] under colonial-era emergency powers last week.”
  Beijing will have its revenge on Hong Kong / FT (paywall)
  Asia editor Jamil Anderlini predicts:

Just as in China in the aftermath of 1989, Hong Kong’s education system will be overhauled to promote “patriotic” narratives; “unreliable” civil servants and judges will be purged; news outlets will be muzzled; all business figures, including multinational companies, will be expected to display loyalty to the motherland. The internet will probably be censored. Mass arrests are likely. This is a best-case scenario, predicated on the protests ending now — which is unlikely.

• Hong Kong’s weekend of protests, fire and tear gas / BBC News
  “The weekend has seen riots over the mask ban, a second person shot and tear gas fired at protesters.”
  Video of mainlander assaulted in Hong Kong sparks outrage in China / AFP
  “Video of a Chinese office worker being punched by a Hong Kong democracy supporter as a crowd chanted ‘go home’ has caused outrage on the mainland, highlighting widening polarisation in the financial hub.”
  Hong Kong’s hard-core protesters take justice into their own hands / NYT (porous paywall)
  “When protesters in Hong Kong this weekend came upon an older, shirtless man who was threatening a crowd, they pounded him to the ground with a stick.”
  Chinese state media urges quicker trials and heavy sentences for Hong Kong protesters / SCMP
  “An online commentary published by Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily said: ‘Most of the approximately 2,000 arrested by police in the past four months are still free on bail…if those prosecuted had already been punished by the law, would there be that many young students incited?’”

• Propaganda
  China masters political propaganda for the Instagram age / NYT (porous paywall)
  Li Yuan writes: “Leveraging celebrities, the know-how of tech companies and images built for social media, the Communist Party can effectively stir patriotism among the youth.”

• Wikipedia editing wars
  China and Taiwan clash over Wikipedia edits / BBC  

Ask Google or Siri: “What is Taiwan?”

“A state,” they will answer, “in East Asia.”

But earlier in September, it would have been a “province in the People’s Republic of China.”

For questions of fact, many search engines, digital assistants and phones all point to one place: Wikipedia. And Wikipedia had suddenly changed.

The edit was reversed, but soon made again. And again. It became an editorial tug of war that — as far as the encyclopedia was concerned — caused the state of Taiwan to constantly blink in and out of existence over the course of a single day.

“This year is a very crazy year,” sighed Jamie Lin, a board member of Wikimedia Taiwan.

“A lot of Taiwanese Wikipedians have been attacked.”

• Trump’s ‘baseless conspiracy about the Bidens and China’
  Trump is pushing a baseless conspiracy about the Bidens and China. Here’s what we know. / NBC

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French fans, angry at early start time, protest with massive Tibet flag

Fans of Olympique Lyonnais of France’s Ligue 1 were angry at their club for an early 1:30 p.m. start time, chosen to accommodate viewers in China. Lyon’s hardcore fan group, Bad Gones, expressed its displeasure by coordinating the entire north stand to hold colored cards to represent the Tibetan flag, with a “Free Tibet” banner added right in the middle. This and other stories on the intersection of politics, business, and sports in this week’s China Sports Column by Mark Dreyer.

Abdurehim Heyit is the Uyghur Bob Dylan. The Chinese government disappeared him.

Abdurehim Heyit, born in Kashgar in 1964, was a virtuoso composer whose versions of old Uyghur folk songs were so beloved that bootleg cassettes far outstripped official supply. He was a sensation on the long-necked dutar lute, and an icon of the Uyghur nation. Like Bob Dylan and New York in the 1960s and ’70s, Heyit’s life in song was part of a mosaic of pop, folk, and underground music in Xinjiang. But everything changed when Heyit was arrested in 2017 amid a sweeping Chinese government crackdown in Xinjiang, and disappeared from public view.

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Chapter Two: The Calm Before the Storm

The second episode of our new show, Strangers in China, features Storm Xu, a comedian and the owner of a local comedy club in Shanghai. One of the very few comics who can perform in both English and Chinese, Storm is making a name for himself on the Chinese stand-up comedy scene as he deftly navigates between languages and cultures to connect with his various audiences.

• Subscribe to Strangers in China on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Stitcher, or by plugging the RSS feed into your favorite podcast reader. 

Sinica Early Access: Jude Blanchette on the Hong Kong protests

Jude Blanchette, the Freeman Chair in China Studies at CSIS, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, joins Kaiser for a discussion of the ongoing Hong Kong protests, possible U.S. responses, Beijing’s puzzling inaction, the perspectives of mainland Chinese, and media coverage of ongoing events in Hong Kong.

• Sinica Early Access is an ad-free, full-length preview of this week’s Sinica Podcast, exclusively for The China Project Access members. Listen by plugging this RSS feed directly into your podcast app.