Since 2021, China’s cultural authorities have tightened control over artistic expression through CAPA’s “Performance-sector norms,” blacklists, and prosecutions that enforce ideological loyalty. Artist Gao Zhen’s detention and the suppression of politically sensitive art abroad highlight a widening campaign to align creativity with Party doctrine. NGOs warn this system, now extending beyond China’s borders, has produced a chilling effect on global artistic freedom.
In August 2025, the Bangkok Arts and Cultural Centre faced unprecedented pressure from Chinese officials to censor artworks critical of Beijing’s policies toward Uyghurs, Tibetans, and Hong Kong. The exhibition, exploring global authoritarian cooperation, was forced to remove or obscure names, flags, and political references—ironically becoming an example of the very repression it sought to expose.
