Book Publishers Continue to Face Commercial and Political Pressure

Book Publishers Continue to Face Commercial and Political Pressure

Government censorship in China has increasingly targeted books, bookstores, and publishers. Last fall, over a dozen bookstores were shuttered or targeted for closure, generating a chilling effect on China’s publishing industry. Last April, an online repository of pirated ebooks closed its WeChat account under mounting pressure from authorities. In October 2023, a book on the last Ming emperor was recalled from shelves and all mention of it banne…