Chinese President Xi Jinping published a book containing his speeches and writings, but if you’re looking to find a review of the publication, don’t bother.
Amazon, which sold the book on its platform, was told by the Chinese government it must not allow any reviews of the book from inside China, according to a report by Reuters. The edict reportedly came after a negative review. The book, published two years ago, still does not have any comments or reviews on Amazon’s Chinese site.
According to the Reuters report, adherence to the government’s demand not to publish reviews of the book is part of a long-standing effort by the company to appease Beijing to grow its business in China.
Reuters uncovered an internal 2018 Amazon briefing document that describes several “core issues” Amazon has faced in the country. Among them: "Ideological control and propaganda is the core of the toolkit for the Communist Party to achieve and maintain its success," the document said. "We are not making judgment on whether it is right or wrong."
Amazon, according to the report, created a portal for the Chinese Communist Party to sell books and help the company gain footing in China. Many of the books push the Chinese political agenda. Amazon does not promote that it created China Books in partnership with a Chinese government agency that previously had the term "propaganda" in the title before being renamed.
Some companies have left China because of pressure from the Chinese government, but Amazon has prospered there, telling Reuters it “complies with all applicable laws and regulations, wherever we operate, and China is no exception." It added that "as a bookseller, we believe that providing access to the written word and diverse perspectives is important. That includes books that some may find objectionable."
According to Reuters, following changes to Chinese regulations that only allowed Chinese-owned businesses to operate within the cloud technology space, Amazon reinforced its commitment in China by allowing local companies to use its technology. The companies engaged in "monitoring and taking down illegal content, collecting and reporting basic information of customers … and working with PRC (the People's Republic of China) authorities on all compliance-related inquiries that may arise."
Amazon Web Services announced further expansion in China in June "to support the demands of our growing customer base in China."