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Foreign-owned Hotels To Install Firewall In China

Posted by timothy on from the autocracy-at-work dept.

Frosty Piss writes "Foreign-owned hotels in China face the prospect of 'severe retaliation' if they refuse to install government software that can spy on Internet use by hotel guests coming to watch the summer Olympic games. Republican Senator Sam Brownback produced a translated version of a document from China's Public Security Bureau that requires hotels to use the monitoring equipment. The Public Security Bureau order threatens that failure to comply could result in financial penalties, suspending access to the Internet or the loss of a license to operate a hotel in China. The policy was designed to 'ensure the smooth opening' of the Olympics, as well as 'promote the healthy and orderly development of the Internet, safeguard state security, maintain social order and protect public interests,' the translation of the one of the documents read."

5 of 114 comments (clear)

  1. Shooting themselves in the foot by pwnies · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I really don't understand China. They lock down the flow of information in their country so that they don't look bad, but in doing so generate a ton of negative media saying how they lock down their information. Could someone please explain what benefit this gives them?

    1. Re:Shooting themselves in the foot by meburke · · Score: 4, Interesting

      It may be different than you think. I have a book called "The Asian Mind Game" by Chin-ning Chu that describes the different mindset that Chines (and Japanese and Koreans) start with when conducting their affairs. There is a distinct difference in cultural values, therefore there is a difference in cultural behavior. China's government is constantly in turmoil, and control is very important. Outside influences can undermine that control pretty quickly (and, in fact, has caused much change over the last 20 years).

      Basically, the Chinese government doesn't care what we THINK about them as long as we ACT in ways that benefit their goals. The Chinese government is losing a long war against education; the populace is getting to smart and being exposed to too many new ideas. They have loosened up on the Command Economy, and are maintaining a fragile balance of control in other regards. So, IMO, the benefit to them is less turmoil from their own population.

      --
      "The mind works quicker than you think!"
    2. Re:Shooting themselves in the foot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      Tienamen Square freedom movement was an embarresment to China. Freedoms for their citizens have been libralized tremendously since the Red Guard era. However the Chinese Communist Party will never allow its citizens to question the governments authority to control information deemed anti-communistis/socialistic (which seems to be a very broad and constantly changing definition). Remember this government came to power by a "peoples revolution" and they do not want a second revolution.

  2. From our perspective, yes, but... by ThousandStars · · Score: 4, Interesting

    James Fallows already did in The Great Firewall. The short version: China is worried chiefly about controlling its own people and setting bad internal precedents. It's not as worried about the rest of the world. In addition, the Chinese authorities are somewhat inept, as he explains here. Because neither can be excerpted effectively, you'll just have to follow the links.

  3. Do business in China, play by Chinese rules. by vampire_baozi · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The other option is not get a cut of the market at all. Everyone wants in to China's market- if a company isn't willing to compromise and accept breaching the rights of Chinese citizens, another Western company (and more frequently, Chinese companies) will step up and happily take their place. And as long as the Chinese government keeps delivering economic growth like this, we'll keep scrambling to get a piece of the pie, and the Chinese citizenry will happily give up their civil liberties in return for stability and nice hotels to stay in. After all, compared with pre-reform China, hotels with any internet are a dream come true. With China, and its government, growth and stability go hand-in-hand. Both government and citizens are willing to sacrifice civil rights for it. Not the ideal bargain, but better than some countries ;) We're giving up our civil liberties in America, and not getting much in return.