Beijing: You can't critisize Mao, or the national soccer team.

You don't need to be a veteran China watcher to know that there are certain topic that Beijing "prefers that the Chinese news media avoid", or to know that there are certain stories that Beijing prefers be approached from "a certain angle".

Most of these topics are well know. They include anything that might embarrass the government, which might point out failings in its policy, or which might indicate that there is widespread disaffection regarding the governments handling of a situation. For example, you won't find CCTV News talking about the Tiananmen Square Massacre, and if you see a headline in Xinhua about rural unrest it will usually be to blame it on ever nebulous "outsiders". None of whom have, so far, ever been identified.

However, not all of these topics - collectively known as the "Gray List" - are so well known, or even political in nature. Indeed, some are quite the opposite. One such topic is that of the Chinese state soccer team.

Giving it the Boot?

Despite not being involved in politics, not having committed any wanton atrocities (At least none off of the pitch), and not having been reviled by human right organizations the world over for several decades, China's state soccer team now finds itself sitting alongside the ranks of the late Chairmans Mao and Deng after a central government decree that its record be airbrushed in the Chinese media.

Decree?

According to sources within the Chinese media, Beijing has, this month, issued strict instructions to the nations media that the Chinese state soccer team be given an easy ride. With the Chinese Central Propaganda Department instructing the news media to reduce the level of criticism of the team, and to reframe from making detremental comments about it.

Up until the time of the decree the Chinese mens team had been seen as "fair game" for criticism. With both the private media and the state media heaviliy critisizing the teams performance and subjecting it to mockery.

Beijing's decree comes after the numerous reports in the Chinese news media criticizing China'a mens team team for its poor performance during the Olympics, and after a series of humiliating incidents - Including one in which Chinese player Tan Wangsong had to be removed from a match for striking Belgian Sebastien Pocognoli in the crotch - prompted scorn from Chinese fans and media commentators. No official reason was given for the decree. Though this is traditional with Beijing.

Despite the popularity of soccer in China, the state team has enjoyed little success, and has frequently been the subject of mockery in the media. Fans and sporting commentators blame this lack of success on a mixture of official corruption and a soccer training regime that emphasis individual prowess and skill over teamwork.

tags: china  mao  soccer  beijing 2008  

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