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Swedish game banned for harming China
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2004-05-31 07:52
China has banned a Swedish-made computer game for "distorting history and
damaging China's sovereignty and territorial integrity," the Ministry of Culture
(MOC) said.
The PC game, "Hearts of Iron", was accused of distorting historical facts in
describing the Fascist regimes of Japan, Germany and Italy during World War II.
Moreover, "Manchuria", "West Xinjiang", and "Tibet" appeared as independent
sovereign countries in the maps of the game. In addition, it even included
China's Taiwan province as the territory of Japan at the beginning of the game.
"All these severely distort historical facts and violate China's gaming and
Internet service regulations," the MOC said. "The game should be immediately
prohibited."
All websites are banned from releasing the game and all the CD-ROM game
copies will be confiscated, the MOC said, and the sellers will be punished
according to law.
Internet bars that provide downloads of the game or fail
to stop those Internet surfers who download, install or play the game, will be
fined or even ordered to stop business.
The game was made by Paradox
Entertainment, a games developer based in Stockholm, capital of Sweden,
published by Strategy First, and was first released in 2002.
The MOC has
established an imported game products censorship committee in an effort to step
up censorship on the content of online games.
The committee regulates
that online games with content violating basic principles of the Constitution,
threatening China's national unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity will
be banned from importing.
Online games with content threatening state
security, damaging the nation's dignity, disturbing social order and infringing
on other's legitimate rights will also be prohibited.
Earlier in March
this year, the State Press and Publication Administration (SPPA) banned a
Norwegian-made computer game, "Project IGI2: Covert Strike".
The game
was accused of intentionally blackening China and the Chinese army's image as a
freelance mercenary fights in the game across three linked campaigns in the
former Soviet Union, Libya and China, where he steals intelligence and conducts
sabotage in China and shoots at China's soldiers while China's national flag and
signs like "China Aviation" pop up frequently.
The SPPA in early 2003
banned a US-made computer game, "Command and Conquer Generals: Zero Hour
Expansion", also for smearing the image of China and the Chinese army.
The
MOC said that all foreign online games must accept content examination by the
ministry before they enter the Chinese market. Those already-entered online
games must make up relevant examinations before Sept. 1, or the game operators
will be punished according to law.
The ministry allows the import of
foreign online games whose content accords with Chinese national conditions and
has positive effects on young people's mentality, the MOC
said.
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