China still has strict infection control rules related to the coronavirus in the country, a so-called zero-tolerance infection policy, which is in stark contrast to large parts of the rest of the world. In China, several large cities are closed down after simple cases of infection, so that the infection does not spread further in the country. More than a quarter of the country has been closed down by the authorities, writes the AFP news agency. In the World Cup stands in Qatar, however, few wear masks or take other infection control measures. CHINA EXPERT: Hans Jørgen Gåsemyr is a senior researcher at the Norwegian Institute of Foreign Policy, and is an expert on Chinese politics and society. Photo: Christopher Olssøn / Christopher Olssøn – For China, the pandemic is not over. There is a genuine fear from politicians in the country that they will have ugly death figures that they have avoided for a long time, because a significant part of the elderly population has not been vaccinated or is not vaccinated well enough, says China expert Hans Jørgen Gåsemyr to news. And while large parts of the population follow the strict infection prevention rules and are “locked up” in their own homes, they have seen supporters from the football World Cup on TV in large crowds, without masks. – They are getting angrier and angrier It has caused great dissatisfaction in China. An open letter that asked “if China was on a different planet than Qatar” spread quickly in the country, before it was later removed, writes AFP. As a result, the Chinese authorities have taken action, and the World Cup images that China receives from Fifa are carefully checked. – After the great dissatisfaction from Chinese supporters, Chinese TV has now replaced pictures of supporters with close-ups of players and coaches, writes China expert and author of the book “Sports superpower”, Mark Dreyer, on Twitter and shares a video clip from the Chinese the TV broadcast. In recent days, many thousands have taken to the streets of China to protest against the corona restrictions. There are many indications that they are dissatisfied with how the country is governed. ABC’s East Asia correspondent Bill Birtless has also compared the images from Chinese TV with regular broadcasts, and writes on Twitter that it is “very clear” that the Chinese are trying to edit out the fans. WITHOUT MOUTHPIECE: Supporters in large groups from the match between Australia and Tunisia were not allowed to be seen by Chinese TV viewers. Photo: JEWEL SAMAD / AFP – It is an attempt to keep information from other countries away from the Chinese, which is unlikely to succeed anyway. The population is very frustrated by the strict lockdown, and is aware that China has a different policy than most other places in the world. This is what Professor of China Studies at UiO, Mette Halskov Hansen, says to news. Both she and Gåsemyr tell of growing dissatisfaction in the country. – There are very large groups in China who follow internationally and have a good education. They are simply getting angrier and angrier at the situation with such strict infection control in the country. That is probably also the background to the censorship, explains China expert Gåsemyr to news. news has sent an e-mail to the Chinese embassy in Norway with questions about the censorship, but has not yet received a reply. – This is how China operates. China is the only country among the world’s leading economies that has still shut down entire cities and is carrying out mandatory tests. 29,157 cases of infection had landed on Wednesday. It is low compared to most other countries, but is approaching the record in China that was set earlier this year, writes AFP. Media expert Nils Petter Strømmen in Kantar is not surprised that the Chinese authorities have chosen to censor the TV images from Qatar. – This is simply how they use the media in countries like China, when they do not have free media. This is something they are known for, and which in a sense is part of the regime’s policy. You cannot separate media and politics in the country, says Strømmen to news. China expert Gåsemyr is well aware of the strict media censorship in China, and says that this has been going on for a very long time. – Always when heated political questions come up, there are extra strict rules for what can be sent and written. Showing images from around the world that so clearly show that others are done with corona has entered a media context where you have to be extra careful, says the expert.
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Such World Cup images are censored in China – news Sport – Sports news, results and broadcasting schedule
