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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 001320 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/28/2032 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KCUL SOCI CH
SUBJECT: LITERARY THRILLER: CHINESE AUTHOR PLANS TO SUE 
GOVERNMENT OVER BOOK BAN 
 
Classified By: Political Section Internal Unit Chief Susan A. Thornton. 
  Reasons 1.4 (b/d). 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1.  (C) A controversial author's preparations to sue 
China's General Administration of Press and 
Publications (GAPP) for banning her book about early 
20th Century Beijing opera stars has created a stir in 
Beijing's literary world.  The book, by Zhang Yihe, is 
one of eight that were blacklisted at a January GAPP 
meeting at which several publishing houses received a 
scolding.  The lawyer who has taken Zhang's case told 
us his objective is to expand the space for freedom of 
speech for authors, and that he will seek symbolic 
damages of RMB 1 (12 cents).  Contacts doubt that the 
case will have its day in court because Zhang's 
pedigree (as daughter of China's number one 
"Rightist") makes her a sensitive political figure and 
because many historical subjects, particularly those 
that cast the Communist Party in an unflattering 
light, remain taboo for Chinese authors.  But since 
the "ban" appears only to extend to new print runs, 
pre-ban copies of the book continue to sell like hot 
cakes in Beijing stores and the title remains 
available on dangdang.com, China's version of Amazon. 
End Summary. 
 
"How Dare She" 
-------------- 
 
¶2.  (C) Zhang Yihe's book, "Past Stories of Peking 
Opera Actors," is one of eight banned in the wake of a 
January 11 GAPP meeting with publishers at which 
representatives of the imprints received harsh 
criticism, contacts and foreign media reports said. 
Other books blacklisted at the meeting include "I 
Object: The Road to Politics by a People's Congress 
Member," which is about activist Yao Lifa's efforts to 
run for a seat in the local legislature in Hubei 
Province; and "The Press," a fictional account of the 
gritty world of Chinese media by Zhu Huaxing.  The 
rest of the titles, like Zhang's, relate mainly to 
20th century Chinese history, touching on the Great 
Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution and other 
events.  GAPP Deputy Director Wu Shulin chaired the 
meeting, contacts told us.  During the proceedings, Wu 
was especially harsh with Hunan Literature and Arts 
Press, Zhang's publisher, reportedly admonishing them, 
"How dare you publish a book by this writer?" 
 
Will There Be a Courtroom Drama? 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (C) Zhang's lawyer Pu Zhiqiang is planning to 
bring suit against GAPP for damages, but said he has 
not formally launched the case pending confirmation of 
the reported events at the GAPP meeting.  Once he is 
confident in the confirmation, the suit will target Wu 
specifically, Pu related.  Otherwise, Pu and his 
client will likely bring suit against GAPP as an 
entity.  Whichever route they choose, the case will 
hinge on article 35 of China's constitution, which 
provides for individuals' freedom of speech, Pu 
remarked.  It will be an uphill battle.  No one has 
ever sued the GAPP, said Zhang Shensi, a reporter and 
editor at the Legal Daily, acknowledging that the odds 
are stacked against the author.  She predicted that 
any court would likely throw the case out on a 
procedural pretext because of its political 
sensitivity.  Meanwhile, Zhang Yihe herself has not 
suffered any penalties or official harassment because 
of the ban, said Ding Dong (protect), a historian who 
is active in publishing and who has been friends with 
Zhang for years. 
 
¶4.  (C) The goal of the lawsuit is to expand the space 
for freedom of speech for authors, Pu said.  With that 
in mind, the compensation Zhang intends to seek is 
symbolic: a) a public admission of wrongdoing from Wu 
and GAPP; b) a lifting of the ban on Zhang's book; and 
c) RMB 1 (USD 0.12) in damages.  Pu said, however, 
that he has another objective as well.  Press coverage 
of the case, even in only a few publications, would 
constitute a step forward in public discourse on 
speech issues.  He hopes to persuade the progressive 
bi-weekly Caijing Magazine or the popular Southern 
Metropolis Daily to write about Zhang's suit.  Even 
without media coverage, however, the ban and Zhang's 
suit are a hot topic among Beijing's intellectual set, 
 
BEIJING 00001320  002 OF 002 
 
 
particularly those who focus on history and how it is 
portrayed in Mainland nonfiction writings and 
textbooks. 
 
Sensitive History 
----------------- 
 
¶5.  (C) History remains a sensitive subject in media 
as well as academia, said the scholar Ding.  The 
current leadership is attempting to present the 
Chinese Communist Party as modern, advanced and 
responsive to the needs of regular people.  In 
connection with this, image is everything, Ding said, 
emphasizing that in his view any genuine probe of 20th 
century Chinese history would heavily tarnish the 
Party.  Fang Jinyu, Beijing bureau chief of the 
progressive Guangzhou-based Southern Daily media 
group, separately made a similar point, stressing that 
in the run-up to the 17th Party Congress this fall, 
censors are on the lookout for any media content seen 
as undermining Party authority.  Anything presenting 
Party history in a bad light or casting aspersions on 
the character or actions of top leaders past or 
present (who are in good official standing) will be 
off limits. 
 
¶6.  (C) This is true even regarding praise or 
criticism of people and events on which the Party 
leadership itself has rendered public judgments, Fang 
pointed out.  For example, the Party has acknowledged 
that the Cultural Revolution was a mistake, but still 
does not like people being publicly reminded that the 
Party committed such deeds.  Similarly, even though 
intellectuals and officials who were branded as 
"Rightists" in the past have been officially 
rehabilitated, there is still a climate of doubt and 
suspicion surrounding liberals in the Party.  Enter 
the author Zhang Yihe, whose father Zhang Bojun was a 
major target of the anti-Rightist campaign of the 
early 1950s.  "She is still paying for her father's 
sins," Fang said.  He added that Zhang is widely known 
for her defiance and her satirical comments on leaders 
and their slogans, which likely does not help her 
standing among China's propaganda guardians. 
 
Banned Books at a Bookstore Near You 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶7.  (C) Despite the ban, a recent trip to the All 
Sages' Bookstore in Beijing's university district 
revealed that six of the eight titles, including "Past 
Stories," were available and given pride of place on a 
table in the main sales area.  The shop clerk said he 
had no information about the other two, "Cang Sang," 
by Xiao Jian, about one Chinese person's experiences 
from 1911 to the late 1950s, and "The Family History 
of an Ordinary Chinese," by Guo Ya, another 
examination of 20th century China.  The availability 
of the other titles reflects the fact that 
blacklisting a book does not necessarily mean it must 
be pulled from bookstore shelves, Ding said.  In some 
cases, GAPP edicts specify only that a title must not 
be reprinted, or that extra copies the publisher has 
in stock should not be distributed.  This may explain 
why several of the books, including "Past Stories" and 
"The Press," are also readily available on 
dangdang.com, China's version of Amazon. 
 
¶8.  (C) Contacts separately noted that publishers, not 
bookstores or even the authors themselves, tend to 
bear the brunt of official opprobrium when books are 
banned.  "Publishers have the most at stake," said 
author Wu Jiaxiang (protect), whose book "The Generals 
of Zhongnanhai" (which was published in Taiwan) has 
never been available on the Mainland.  He said firms 
that cross the editorial line risk fines, firings or 
even closure.  Nonetheless, Wu quipped that when they 
ban a book, the GAPP becomes China's "Number One 
literary agent" because as soon as a title is 
blacklisted, it flies off the shelves and becomes a 
must-read among intellectuals and progressives.  "The 
author gains fame and respect," Wu concluded. 
RANDT