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Women and gender
OpinionComment
Lijia Zhang
Lijia Zhang

Opinion | China banning clothes that hurt national feelings would be a stitch too far

  • The proposed legal amendment is vaguely drafted and has raised fears that it could lead to arbitrary arrests
  • As young people wearing kimonos or T-shirts with rainbows find themselves barred by security or even detained by police, concerns about personal liberties are growing

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First-grade students in hanfu hold up cards with the character “ren” meaning “person” during an initiation ceremony to learn about traditional culture at a primary school in Anlong county, Guizhou province, on August 28. Photo: AFP
Lijia Zhang

When I read about the draft legal amendment to ban clothing and symbols that are “detrimental to the spirit” of the nation or “hurt the feelings” of the Chinese people, I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. Part of the five-year legislative plan released by the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, China’s top legislative body, the proposed amendment to the Public Security Administration Punishments Law could see offenders detained for up to 15 days and fined up to 5,000 yuan (US$681).

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This has sparked heated discussion among legal experts as well as ordinary citizens. Many feel the proposal is excessive, even absurd; others worry that it may lead to arbitrary arrests.

Since President Xi Jinping took power, his government has clamped down on civil liberties. I view the proposed amendment as yet another indication of this worrying trend.

It reminds me of when I worked at a rocket factory in the 1980s. During the various “anti-spiritual pollution” campaigns that came and went like summer storms, morality police were sent to stand at the factory gates, catching and punishing anyone deemed to be wearing outfits deemed inappropriate, such as skinny jeans or flared trousers which were seen as symbols of capitalism. It was worse during the Cultural Revolution, when the wrong clothes could get you beaten up or sent to jail.
The year 1989 was very much a watershed. The pro-democracy movement happened not only because people wanted democracy and greater human rights, but also because people were unhappy with their lives.
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After the crackdown, while tightening political control, the authorities slowly started to grant citizens more personal freedom. People could decide what to wear, where to live and how to go about their lives. Finally, there was something like personal space.

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