Communist China Clamps Down on Chatter About Taiwan’s Election
- Hashtag about the vote was trending, is now restricted
- Free ballot contrasts starkly with Beijing’s one-party system
Voters stand in line at a polling station in Banqiao, New Taipei, on Jan. 13.
Photographer: An Rong Xu/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
China’s ruling Communist Party is reining in internet discussion about Taiwan’s election, a sign of Beijing’s displeasure with the democratic exercise.
A hashtag about the pivotal vote was trending on Chinese social media platform Weibo on Saturday morning, as polls opened. By midday, searches for “Taiwan election” yielded a noticed reading: “According to relevant laws, regulations and policies, the content of this topic is not displayed.”