Reviews of Xi Jinping’s Book on Amazon removed as Beijing was not happy
Amazon erased all comments and ratings related to an item on its Chinese site selling Xi Jinping’s lectures and writings after Beijing demanded the feedback to be removed.
This incident occurred almost two years ago but was only recently highlighted by Reuters in a “special report” The publication reported that the government request came after a bad review was posted.
Given Amazon’s reliance on customer reviews and ratings, the decision is unusual for the company. Reuters reported that the firm’s plan to maintain popularity in China included making this sacrifice.
“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 favour in Beijing to protect and grow its business in one of the world’s largest marketplaces,” Reuters noted.
According to Reuters, “Ideological control and propaganda is the core of the toolkit for the communist party to achieve and maintain its success.” Amazon stated that “We are not making a judgement on whether it is right or wrong.”
Reuters also learned that the corporation cooperated with “an arm of China’s propaganda apparatus” to build a selling portal on its American website called “China Books.” In the country, Reuters said that the corporation considered this action “crucial to winning support”
Books on Chinese cookery, language, and children’s stories are among those marketed through this endeavour. The official line of the Communist Party is emphasised by others. One book promotes life in Xinjiang, where 1 million Uyghurs are compelled to work in camps. Ethnicity is “not a problem” in one novel, according to Reuters.