China bans use of English — and Chinglish — in media
Taking a page from L’Académie française, China’s state press and publishing body has banned the use of foreign words and acronyms – especially English – in newspapers, periodicals, books, and on the Internet. The General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP) noted that the use of foreign languages, most notably the mix of English and ...
Taking a page from L'Académie française, China's state press and publishing body has banned the use of foreign words and acronyms - especially English - in newspapers, periodicals, books, and on the Internet.
The General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP) noted that the use of foreign languages, most notably the mix of English and Chinese known as Chinglish, has "seriously damaged the purity of the Chinese language and resulted in adverse social impacts to the harmonious and healthy cultural environment," according to the People's Daily.
While highly amusing to some, the Communist Party-run paper notes that "coined half-English, half-Chinese terms ... are intelligible to nobody." If words must be written in a foreign language, they must be accompanied by an explanation in Chinese.
Taking a page from L’Académie française, China’s state press and publishing body has banned the use of foreign words and acronyms – especially English – in newspapers, periodicals, books, and on the Internet.
The General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP) noted that the use of foreign languages, most notably the mix of English and Chinese known as Chinglish, has "seriously damaged the purity of the Chinese language and resulted in adverse social impacts to the harmonious and healthy cultural environment," according to the People’s Daily.
While highly amusing to some, the Communist Party-run paper notes that "coined half-English, half-Chinese terms … are intelligible to nobody." If words must be written in a foreign language, they must be accompanied by an explanation in Chinese.
Does this mean English speakers won’t continue to find "fried enema" on Chinese restaurant menus? We’ll just have to see how strictly this policy is actually enforced.
More from Foreign Policy

Xi’s Great Leap Backward
Beijing is running out of recipes for its looming jobs crisis—and reviving Mao-era policies.

Companies Are Fleeing China for Friendlier Shores
“Friendshoring” is the new trend as geopolitics bites.

Why Superpower Crises Are a Good Thing
A new era of tensions will focus minds and break logjams, as Cold War history shows.

The Mediterranean as We Know It Is Vanishing
From Saint-Tropez to Amalfi, the region’s most attractive tourist destinations are also its most vulnerable.