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Amazon Removed Reviews of Xi Jinping's Book on Orders From Beijing: Report
mazon elected to remove all comments and reviews tied to a listing on its Chinese site marketing the speeches and writings of the country's Communist leader Xi Jinping after Beijing issued an order demanding the feedback be removed from its site.
This action took place about two years ago but reportedly wasn't covered until Reuters released a "special report" on Friday. In its report, the outlet wrote that the government demand was prompted after a negative review was posted.
Given Amazon's reliance on customer reviews and ratings as a part of its platform, the move comes as a sharp contrast to the company's usual manner of conducting business. Reuters wrote that this sacrifice to appease the wishes of Xi's government come as part of the firm's strategy to maintain favor in China.
"Amazon's compliance with the Chinese government edict, which has not been reported before, is part of a deeper, decade-long effort by the company to win favor in Beijing to protect and grow its business in one of the world's largest marketplaces," Reuters wrote.
In addition to this approach, additional information obtained by Reuters showed that the company partnered with "an arm of China's propaganda apparatus" to create a selling portal on its American website, with the project being coined as "China Books." Reuters reported that the company saw this move as "crucial to winning support" in the country.
Many of the books sold through this project are apolitical, such as pieces on Chinese cooking, language, and children's stories. However, others "amplify the Communist Party's official line," Reuters wrote. One book promotes life in Xinjiang where the United Nations reported that around 1 million Uyghurs work in forced labor camps. Reuters wrote that one book quoted a comedy actor who plays an Uyghur "country bumpkin" and said that ethnicity is "not a problem" there.
www.newsweek.com
mazon elected to remove all comments and reviews tied to a listing on its Chinese site marketing the speeches and writings of the country's Communist leader Xi Jinping after Beijing issued an order demanding the feedback be removed from its site.
This action took place about two years ago but reportedly wasn't covered until Reuters released a "special report" on Friday. In its report, the outlet wrote that the government demand was prompted after a negative review was posted.
Given Amazon's reliance on customer reviews and ratings as a part of its platform, the move comes as a sharp contrast to the company's usual manner of conducting business. Reuters wrote that this sacrifice to appease the wishes of Xi's government come as part of the firm's strategy to maintain favor in China.
"Amazon's compliance with the Chinese government edict, which has not been reported before, is part of a deeper, decade-long effort by the company to win favor in Beijing to protect and grow its business in one of the world's largest marketplaces," Reuters wrote.
In addition to this approach, additional information obtained by Reuters showed that the company partnered with "an arm of China's propaganda apparatus" to create a selling portal on its American website, with the project being coined as "China Books." Reuters reported that the company saw this move as "crucial to winning support" in the country.
Many of the books sold through this project are apolitical, such as pieces on Chinese cooking, language, and children's stories. However, others "amplify the Communist Party's official line," Reuters wrote. One book promotes life in Xinjiang where the United Nations reported that around 1 million Uyghurs work in forced labor camps. Reuters wrote that one book quoted a comedy actor who plays an Uyghur "country bumpkin" and said that ethnicity is "not a problem" there.
Amazon Removed Reviews of Xi Jinping's Book on Orders From Beijing: Report
The removal of the comments and reviews happened two years ago and was prompted by a negative review.
www.newsweek.com
