Chinese TED talk called off after police express concern about links to foreign organisation

It is unclear when the event in Guangzhou can go ahead as organisers look at whether they can get a temporary permit to avoid falling foul of the law

China has been tightening its laws to counter foreign ‘interference’, with NGOs among the organisations facing tighter controls on their activities

Reading Time:2 minutes

TEDx allows volunteers around the world to organise their own licensed TED talks, which must be not-for-profit events. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 4:25pm, 31 Jul 2023Updated: 5:13pm, 31 Jul 2023

Planned TED talks in the Chinese city of Guangzhou have been called off after police contacted the organisers to express concern that it was associated with a foreign non-governmental organisation.

The TEDxGuangzhou 2023 conference, planned for August 13, would have been the first since the start of the Covid pandemic and was expected to attract 800 attendees.

The schedule included 12 talks by artists, researchers, entrepreneurs and campus anti-bullying advocates. The event brochure also said it would include small-scale discussions and workshops.

But TEDxGuangzhou said in a WeChat post on Monday that the city police’s office for the management of foreign non-governmental organisations had contacted the organisation on Thursday and told it to “establish a domestic representative office” or apply for a temporary permit to comply with the law.

The local police so far have not issued any statement on the issue.

The police intervention comes after China has repeatedly promised international businesses that the country is committed to opening up even as it sharpens its legal tools to fight “foreign infiltration”.