Is the Chinese government against Lonely Planet on the Taiwan issue?

I met three Irish backbackpackers in Xi’an who had this same thing happen. It always seems to be at the Vietnamese border, although maybe that’s just the stories that have come out so far. I flew into Beijing a few weeks ago and didn’t have any problem, so maybe it’s an overland thing. Weird.

that’s the stupidest thing I’ve heard the Chinese Gov’t do yet, and they do a lot of stupid things. Time for the boys in Beijing to grow up and join the rest of us living in the 21st century.

And another reason to avoid LP’s guidebooks.

Yawn… what a tall tale. It is amazing how some people can believe everything that is said on the Internet.

Reminds me of my 2nd grade class where a girl claimed that she saw a ghost in the female toilet. Few days later, all the kids claimed that they saw something lurking in the toilet.

Grow up folks!

These are just some rumours spread by some anti-china people.
If it is pro-china comments, people will just brush it away as pro-communist propaganda. But if it is anti-china stuff, you can see folks like this on this website licking up every bits of it.

Wahahaha… i am amazed how stupid some people can be. To read and believe without thinking.

My book was also taken when I entered by ferry to ShenZhen (Shekou) from Hong Kong. The officers didn’t tell me the reasons why my book was confiscated… now I know after reading all your comments.

For me, you are very strange also.

Absolutely, it’s reasonable to ban this illegal book.

We don’t care what you do in your country; but we care everyone else’s position about the unfinished war between mainland and Taiwan.

It is natural that your position is near to that of US; but we are not feared…

There is always something in everyone’s heart that should be seen the most holy

I never say that it is you that make us to fear.

Your country is faraway from China.

But we are very anxious for the existing of ally of US and Japan; Why US placed so many carriers near to our country?

Why US always adds the soldiers in the islands of the west Pacific recently? In our eyes, naturally, it is preparing for the attack to our army! They do want us to fear.

In China, the majority of people don’t want war, including me; I believe some Chinese living in Taiwan too; but if it comes to us, we can’t refuse the responsibilities.

Actually, US has enough advantages facing our army. But, we can’t do nothing when we found the coming threat. In this world, everything is possible;US can attack Iraq, they can attack Afghan, why not us?

From 1951 to 1953, we was fighting with them in Korea; then we faced them in Vitenam. During the war between China and India, their position is against us also.

In 1998, American attacked our diplomatists in Europe. Every year they sent his spy plane to our country.

I can give a long list about the conflicts.

So our premier Mr Wen Jiabao said “we don’t want it but we are not feard”.

As you know, we are facing lots of problems in our reform. Presently those are more important than others problems.

We don’t want any changes in the situation in Taiwan; but somebody wants to challenge our country dignity and unification, we know what we should do.

Maybe you will say that these are some ideas about “cold war”; but I don’t think so.

We are not blind, we found what happened in the past 60 years; we know that we need changes. Surely we know why US did so too!

I have lived in Europe for three years and I will go back to my motherland. I love my country so much; maybe it is not the best, but it is my motherland.

I never say that it is you that make us to fear.

Your country is faraway from China.

But we are very anxious for the existing of ally of US and Japan; Why US placed so many carriers near to our country?

Why US always adds the soldiers in the islands of the west Pacific recently? In our eyes, naturally, it is preparing for the attack to our army! They do want us to fear.

In China, the majority of people don’t want war, including me; I believe some Chinese living in Taiwan too; but if it comes to us, we can’t refuse the responsibilities.

Actually, US has enough advantages facing our army. But, we can’t do nothing when we found the coming threat. In this world, everything is possible;US can attack Iraq, they can attack Afghan, why not us?

From 1951 to 1953, we was fighting with them in Korea; then we faced them in Vitenam. During the war between China and India, their position is against us also.

In 1998, American attacked our diplomatists in Europe. Every year they sent his spy plane to our country.

I can give a long list about the conflicts.

So our premier Mr Wen Jiabao said “we don’t want it but we are not feard”.

As you know, we are facing lots of problems in our reform. Presently those are more important than others problems.

We don’t want any changes in the situation in Taiwan; but somebody wants to challenge our country dignity and unification, we know what we should do.

Maybe you will say that these are some ideas about “cold war”; but I don’t think so.

We are not blind, we found what happened in the past 60 years; we know that we need changes. Surely we know why US did so too!

I have lived in Europe for three years and I will go back to my motherland. I love my country so much; maybe it is not the best, but it is my motherland.

The so-called “un-finished war” between China and Taiwan will be finished only when China decides to become a civilized nation and a responsible member of the international community, and stops threatening to invade a peaceful neighbor.

The people here in Taiwan want very much to be able to interact economically, culturally and diplomatically with China.

Unfortunately, China is making this impossible by giving only two options: surrender or invasion.

Do you live in an open, peaceful, civilized and democratic nation? How do you think people in YOUR country would react to such a choice? How will the leaders of YOUR country react if China carries out its threat? Will they say anything at all?

Put it this way, a lot of people is born ignorant or insensitive especially the aspiration and determination of each nation. For China, it’s just simple. Taiwan belongs to China per se, nothing more nothing less. Just for Isrealis, it’s like trying to say Isreal belongs to Palestine, what will their reaction. Happy, clapping hand. Good, show that to the Palestinian

Some quote that ‘The so-called “un-finished war” between China and Taiwan will be finished only when China decides to become a civilized nation’. I wonder who standard is he refering to. Remember China was the most advance nation in the world then and will be in future. You can keep your uncivilised behaviour to yourself.

Some quote that ‘The so-called “un-finished war” between China and Taiwan will be finished only when China decides to become a civilized nation’. I wonder who standard is he refering to. Remember China was the most advance nation in the world then and will be in future. You can keep your uncivilised behaviour to yourself.

Wow. Those are some crazy stories. I lived in China for three years and carried my LP around openly and I never had any problems.

I also had friends who brought contraband books into China and they never had any problems either.

Still, I don’t doubt that it happens. Censorship is still widely practiced in China, from books to email, from websites and other news sources. I think it’s sad that China’s list of contraband goods is getting larger every day, when it should be getting smaller.

You hypocrite,IMHO,the taiwan problem is a political complex relating tens of thousands of lives.Every things wrong may cost millions of lives acrossing this strait.You are taking the lives as joke stuff.Disgusting!I donn’t know what is reaction when someone makes funs about the iranian maps showing the erasing of israel in their maps.Keep writng

I took the Lonely Planet China guidebook into China and didn’t have a problem with customs. I entered via Beijing and was not checked by customs at all. Even in Tibet, I experienced no problems. The country folk and farmers tend to support Mao more. Maybe the people in the rural areas are a more sensitive than people in urban areas.

I took the Lonely Planet China guidebook into China and didn’t have a problem with customs. I entered via Beijing and was not checked by customs at all. Even in Tibet, I experienced no problems. The country folk and farmers tend to support Mao more. Maybe the people in the rural areas are a more sensitive than people in urban areas.

international politics through “lonely” guides? or much ado about nothing on the chinese part?

it’s something that’s been happening for about couple of months or so.

I also had friends who brought contraband books into China and they never had any problems either

most chinks are just brainwashed by the chinese government.. you cannot blame them. it is not their fault. it is just bad luck for them to born in that dictactorial land.
i am a chink too and unfortunately, i was born in this piece of ghetto land.
my army friend told me that the chinese government buried lots of chinese soldiers without going public. why is that? because a lot of chinese soldiers were asked to do flight trials and most of them died in the fighter testing or the military drills.. sigh for them. My friend said that it was lucky to survive because my friends dad is a tycoon here and bribed the military official not to let my friend join those drills or flight testings.wow look at how dark it is here. hahahah some chinks still laugh at the taiwanese dying in those F-16 flight testings??? why not laugh at your own stupid people’s liberty army??
awaken to the reality. suckers… this hypocrital government is just brainwashing you and making you blind in front of the real facts.. you dont wanna accep t this .. i am fine with that, cuz i know you will live in the bubble life. good forrrrrrrrrr you

Well it happened to me too just yesterday at the border between China(HeKou) and Vietnam(Sapa). Had to get it replaced for 330Y in Kunming.

I see no wrong for China’s government in doing so. Just think about Jerusalem is painted out of the state of Israel or the New Mexico state is paited different from the other parts of the US.

I see no wrong for China’s government in doing so. Just think about Jerusalem is painted out of the state of Israel or the New Mexico state is paited different from the other parts of the US.

well, by saying “no wrong” I mean this may seem like an overreaction, but it is not so unreasonable, especially when they are confronted with the overwhelming western media which rarely speak in favor of the mainland China. The so-called absolute freedom of speech and publication has never been part of eastern values. The Chinese traditional values put more emphasis on collective interests, and on this very topic, to my knowledge, the government of PRC is supported by the majority of Chinese people. You may not agree to it, you may even not understand it, but you have to accept this fact in a country with 1.4 billion population. Incidentally, even in Taiwan you can hardly find in an OFFICIAL map the Taiwan island is painted different to the mainland China.

I was traveling in China for a month (mid-April to mid-May, 2008), and I went everywhere with my Lonely Planet China guide. I checked the book after reading this post and, sure enough, Taiwan is a presented as being outside China.

No one bothered me, and I had that book everywhere I went in China. When I entered and left China, and when I went on domestic flights, the book was in my large handbag or carry-on bag, I don’t remember. I may have even had it in my hand at at times. I guess I just got lucky. Or maybe they stopped caring since this post was written.

I was traveling in China for a month (mid-April to mid-May, 2008), and I went everywhere with my Lonely Planet China guide. I checked the book after reading this post and, sure enough, Taiwan is a presented as being outside China.

No one bothered me, and I had that book everywhere I went in China. When I entered and left China, and when I went on domestic flights, the book was in my large handbag or carry-on bag, I don’t remember. I may have even had it in my hand at at times. I guess I just got lucky. Or maybe they stopped caring since this post was written.