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Friday 6 November 2026 - CHINA THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS

The mental and verbal gymnastics going on in China and Hong Kong right now are off the scale. Last week, the Chinese Communist Party took offence at a meme featuring France and Real Madrid football superstar Kylian Mbappé, in which he refers to Mao Zedong as a “dictator”. Never mind the fact that the Communist Party itself manufactured a “70/30 rule” for Mao, in which his legacy was defined as 70% good and 30% bad. That 30% seems to have been sidelined, although let’s face it, it was a joke to begin with – Zedong was responsible for more deaths in the world than any of history’s other dictators. And yes, I am using the D word. I long ago made my peace with the fact I’m not going back to China any time soon. Mbappé and his many commercial partners do want China access though, so the footballer has done what every other person does with China – apologise. But it wasn’t good enough. China's state broadcaster CCTV still didn’t air Real Madrid’s match on Sunday. A lesson perhaps?
Don’t negotiate with terrorists?

Anyway, the terrorists were terrorising again yesterday. This time, their target was an old favourite of theirs – democracy activist Joshua Wong, who was sentenced to another 10 years in jail. Wong, 30, has been imprisoned since he was 23 for his leading role in Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement. Except that in the Communist Party’s telling, Wong has been cast as the villain. He’s a “national security threat” and guilty of “colluding with foreign forces”.

It’s all lies, and some still see through them, such as the circa 50 people who stood outside the Hong Kong courthouse on Thursday, supporting Wong with the finger heart gesture (crossing the thumb and forefinger to show solidarity and defiance). These scenes were heartening to behold. The issue, though, is that memories are short. As with Mao, whose few surviving victims of his terror are now well into old age, the authorities in Hong Kong want the democracy movement and its leaders to disappear – whether through direct censorship, the passage of time or both. Do read this powerful piece ([link removed]) we published back in September by Wong’s friend Frances Hui.

To oil the wheels of forgetfulness, and to keep up the lies and control, on 28 October Hong Kong’s Security Bureau held a launch ceremony for a series of educational picture books. Andy and Security Bear: Young Citizens Safeguarding National Security is, it seems, intended to start the national security conversation when kids are still in nappies. The book will be distributed in 900 kindergartens and public libraries by the end of the year. Pity the poor kids, who can’t enjoy Winnie the Pooh – he too has taken on villain status after his portly appearance was compared to Xi Jinping – and instead will be spoon-fed this tosh.

So in China today, a man who was never elected, murdered tens of millions and ruled with an iron fist until his death is no longer a dictator; and a young man championing fundamental civic freedoms in Hong Kong is deemed a security threat and banished behind bars until he is at least 40. You say up, they say down.

Jemimah Steinfeld

CEO, Index on Censorship

OUR LATEST NEWS

WEBINAR - At 1.30pm on 10 November, Index's Nik Williams joins a panel held by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) to discuss the fight against SLAPPs and efforts to protect journalists from legal intimidation across Europe. Register here ([link removed]) .

ISRAEL’S REALITY? - Arab parties ought to be playing the role of kingmakers after elections in Israel, but it won't work out that way. With millions of Israeli Arabs effectively ignored, can Israel really call itself a representative democracy? Akin Ajayi writes ([link removed]) .

INDEX ABROAD - Partners of Council of Europe Media Freedom met with Jan Braathu, OSCE media freedom Representative on Freedom of the Media, in Vienna to discuss impunity and the pressing threats facing journalists across Europe. In Budapest, Index also joined coalition partners to welcome initial reforms in Hungary ([link removed]) , but called for more action in key areas such as media pluralism and accountability.

FOOTBALL’S SHAME - After a huge backlash against Kylian Mbappé in China and Aston Villa threatening legal action against Jamie Carragher. What's wrong with football? Read Daisy Ruddock’shttps://www.indexoncensorship.org/2026/11/authoritarians-and-football-mbappe-and-carragher-were-unfairly-silenced/piece here ([link removed]) .
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THE MAGAZINE

The latest issue of the Index magazine, Death by a Thousand Bots, examines what happens when technology takes the role of the censor. This issue features James Ball, Victoria Baines and Viren Naidu, among others.

Become an Index member today ([link removed]) and you’ll get a subscription to the print magazine, posted through your letterbox four times a year.

TYRANT OF THE WEEK

A PLEASANT SURPRISE

Such was the size of the Democrats ([link removed]) ’ triumph over Republicans ([link removed]) in the Midterms ([link removed]) that not even Donald Trump could question the results, as he has done previously. We await to see how Trump will eventually lash out as he becomes politically hamstrung, with only the power of a veto to comfort him. With Trump’s White House censoring academics, we won’t exactly be bidding a fond farewell to him in two years’ time. Then, old Donny can put his feet up and enjoy pastimes men of a certain age are particularly good at. Golf, posting AI slop on social media and surrounding himself with fawning women in a tragic attempt to roll
back the years. “Rigged erection,” anyone?

SEE ALSO:
* HEATED EXCHANGE - Sky’s US correspondent James Matthews was seen involved in a testy exchange ([link removed]) with the now Senator-elect in Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed.
* WONG’S SMILE - Joshua Wong appeared understandably dejected following his unjust sentencing in a Hong Kong court, but the brave young activist still found a moment to smile ([link removed]) , turning to the press gallery and members of the public to utter “thank you to you all” in Cantonese.


FLASHBACK

DAS SCHÖNE SPIEL

The whole sorry show involving Kylian Mbappé left us with a sour taste in our mouths, and some despair at the current levels of authoritarian cash infecting the world’s most popular sport. With Abu Dhabi-run Manchester City cheating the Premier League’s financial rules, Newcastle United's continued ownership by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, and World Cups in Russia, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the beautiful game seems to be in a very dark place.

But what if football can be used to fight censorship, instead of giving it a glossy sheen? In 1991, British author and journalist Simon Kuper met with German football fan Helmut Klopfleisch, tailed by the secret police and arrested several times for doing just that. The Stasi’s file on Klopfleisch said he was a fanatic of the West Berlin club Hertha BSC, and he helped found an illegal 'Hertha Society'. He was eventually expelled from the GDR in 1989.

Read the full extraordinary story here ([link removed]*1v3z17p*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTM3NTQwODA0NS4xNzkzOTYwMzM5*_ga_60R758KFDG*czE3OTM5NjAzMzkkbzEkZzEkdDE3OTM5NjAzNDckajUyJGwxJGgyMjk5MjU2MDU.) .

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