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Notes -
I don't follow sci-fi cons all that closely but I do follow some authors on
TwitterMastodon that care, and I recall them being pretty upset at the idea of Worldcon in China with Cixin Liu as a guest of honor (given his public positions on the Uyghurs). And I didn't remember the details mentioned below of accusations that an organization within China rigged the vote (by purchasing lots of voting memberships), suggesting the general Worldcon community wasn't a fan of holding Worldcon in China.I was pretty surprised by your comments in this thread about the left giving China a pass... but I think there's a difference between business/media and individuals here. Left-leaning business and media rely on China's business enough that they don't they want to say much. But left-leaning individuals on social media have plenty negative to say about China's government in my experience. Some of it complaining about Disney appeasing China.
Let's compare. Somebody saying a wrong pronoun once: we have firestorms on social media, boycotts organized, marches, dis-invitations from conferences and events, the whole shebang. I mean, look at how Rowling is treated - and she's a leftist just like them. I hear most of HP movie cast doesn't even talk to her now, she's not invited on events celebrating her own creations, and they tried to boycott a game just because it was set in HP universe.
Now let's consider a fully grown fascist state, having actual concentration camps, murdering people and disassembling them into organs, also very explicitly racist and homophobic - and let's consider Disney going to that place, and literally filming a movie where camps can be seen on the background - and what we have? Some mild complaining here and there? I think it's clear where their hearts are.
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