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Sunday, September 03, 2006

China Confiscating Lonely Planet Guides because of Taiwan Issue

filination reports:
Oooo… there's a weird story for you. Apparently, some Israeli tourists going to travel in China with the latest Lonely Planet book were asked to hand in their very expensive book at the border-crossing due to its 'political nature' showing maps of China which color Taiwan in a different color suggesting that Taiwan is not a part of China.

10 comments:

  1. I suppose I shouldn't wear my shirt with an ROC flag on it if I ever decide to go to China...

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  2. :)...this seems to be a much better strategy than the missiles, doesn't it?

    the downside, lonely planet many not put taiwan and mainland in the same book, thus defeating the "purpose", if that is the purpose.
    -- my guess is CCP is much more short-sighted to contemplate using this as a strategy to sway international publishers, all it wants is to keep its own yards clean

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  3. :o

    Oh, second mention in "The View from Taiwan" in one week... :$

    Truly flattered, thanks.

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  4. I am not even sure whether to believe this story or not. Sounds like a fictitious story to me.

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  5. Josee, did you actually read the post at the filination site? No, you didn't. It's not just one person saying this.

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  6. Yes I read the postings and I don't believe that it is true.

    I mean even news reports about China can be inaccurate.

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  7. Josee, last year they confiscated textbooks for an international school in which Taiwan and China were of different colors. This is not abnormal behavior at all.

    Michael

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  8. And to add spice to this story.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/bokane/234779204/

    Neobiwan

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  9. Well, the photo from Flickr shows the opposite. Copies of the "banned" LP can clearly be found in China.

    The experiences of LP being "confiscated" could be isolated cases of over-zealous immigration officers who were carrying out their duties.

    It doesn't mean that there is an official position by the Chinese government against LP.

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  10. Thank you, Josee, for conceding the validity of the original story. No, it doesn't mean that China has this policy.

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