Chinese 'World Book' Omits Tiananmen Square Massacre, Says Taiwan Belongs to China

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Debra Lau Whelan -- School Library Journal, 5/23/2007

Readers of the new Chinese version of World Book Encyclopedia are in for some major changes. For one, it makes no mention of the 1989 government crackdown in Tiananmen Square and the arrest of Falun Gong protesters in 1999. And it also says Taiwan isn't a country, but a province of China.

The 20-volume edition, which was officially unveiled at the Shangri-La Hotel in Beijing on May 16, states that "Taiwan is a part of the People's Republic of China" and "has been a part of China since the ancient times," according to a translation of the text provided by World Book officials.

That's a departure from the English version, which portrays the island as a sovereign nation, both in its text and graphics. "When you look at the map of Taiwan in [the English-language] World Book, the symbol that's used for Taipei is the symbol we use for other capitals of nations," says World Book's Editor-in-Chief Paul Kobasa. There's also a picture of the Taiwan flag.

While the English-language World Book doesn't have stand-alone articles on the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and the arrests in 1999 of Falun Gong members, they are mentioned in articles on Beijing and Freedom of Assembly. "In 1989, the Chinese government brutally disbanded a large, peaceful assembly of students and other citizens in Beijing's Tiananmen Square," reads the English World Book. In another passage it says, "The military crushed the demonstrations and killed hundreds of protesters."

But these historical events are omitted from the Chinese version, says Kobasa. "And we understand from Chinese contacts that this is consistent with current government policy respecting these events."

The publisher's of World Book, the first American encyclopedia to license the right to create a Mandarin-language edition in China, was concerned about censorship, but after several internal discussions, it decided to go ahead. "The feeling was that some encyclopedia is going to be translated into Chinese," Kobasa adds. "And while the product may be somewhat different from what we might have done, what we might have done might never have gotten published."

Recasting information

Based on a contract signed between World Book and Hainan Publishing House in 1997, "it was understood that the local censors would exercise what they do with most, if not all, publications, which is to make sure that the Chinese government's view is reflected," says World Book President Paul Gazzolo. Hainan added more than 300 articles on Chinese provinces and historically important figures. "Of course, one of the 'provinces' is an island to the south which we refer to as Taiwan," Gazzolo adds.

In the end, Kobasa admits that the section on Taiwan is not a word-for-word translation. "They've recast the information in a way that suits their understanding of that island," he says.

The encyclopedia took 10 years to publish, largely because of the lengthy translation process and the watchful eye of the Chinese government. As Hainan Publishing House completed each volume, "it had to be submitted to the government to be approved," says Kobasa.

The subject of the island's overeignty is a touchy one because China has always claimed Taiwan is a renegade province. But Taiwan claims otherwise. "We are an independent country," says William Lin, the director general of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, the equivalent of a Consulate General Office. "We've never been ruled by [China] since we were founded in 1911. When people apply for a visa to Taiwan, they come to my office, not the Chinese Consulate."

Tens of thousands of sets

Although the United States has no formal ties with Taiwan—Washington severed relations when it established relations with China in 1979—the two do have quasi-diplomatic ties under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act. Murray Rubinstein, a professor of History at Baruch College in New York and a contributor to the World Book article on Taiwan, says, "As I see it, Taiwan is a sovereign nation" because China has "no control over Taiwan's government."

The reason why only 25 countries formally recognize Taiwan is because no one wants to upset China. "Everybody wants to make the Chinese government happy because of the juggernaut that they are," Rubinstein says. And that includes publishing companies who see China as a huge market. Although World Book doesn't disclose sales figures, they're hoping to sell "tens of thousands of these sets" to schools and libraries, as well as rural community centers, individual homes, and businesses, Gazzolo says.

This isn't the first time World Book has had to make changes to "respect the local government customs." When the encyclopedia sold its licensing rights to India, for example, the publisher had to make some adjustments to Kashmir, the disputed area on the northern border of India and Pakistan, Gazzolo says.

What does World Book think about the changes to its Chinese version? "I'm certain that you're going to find differences in their translation that will reflect the party line," Gazzolo says. "My hope is that this represents less than one percent of all the content in this set that we're seeing differences on."

For now, the new edition is only being sold in China, and it may be available online, although the Internet version may be more problematic than print "because it's harder to control," Kobasa says.