‘Squid Game’ fever has hit the world and nothing can stop it – not even China’s Great Firewall. China may not have Netflix, but its most popular release, Squid Game, has become a major hit in the communist nation.
You might feel that it’s not a big deal, as the South Korean thriller has become the most popular Netflix series till date. But, it is a big deal – the ability of Chinese users to evade the Great Firewall of China at will shows how the era of tight CCP censorship may be getting demolished at the hands of Chinese citizens.
Squid Game trending in China
The dystopian South Korean thriller failed to pass the tight Chinese censors because of brutal violence in its content. However, Squid Game has already become a part of the popular culture in Chinese cities. In Shanghai, a crowd of people was seen on Tuesday at an eatery selling dalgona, the sugar candy featuring in a Squid Game episode. The customers were seen gathering at the eatery’s Squid Game-themed sign to click photos.
A customer named Li told AFP, “People were sending jokes related to the show in group chats when I started watching.” Li and his friends went on to film their attempt at a challenge appearing on the South Korean thriller show- trying to cut shapes from the snack without cracking it.
In fact, Squid Game is so popular in China, that the keywords “Squid Game” garnered over 1.7 billion hits on Chinese social media platform Weibo. Many online retailers in China are also sealing Squid Game merchandise, a pattern observed in countries across the world.
South Korea raises concern about illegal distribution
South Korea’s ambassador to China Jang Ha-sung said, “Our assessment is that ‘Squid Game’, which is gaining global popularity, is being illegally distributed on around 60 sites in China.” Jang said that he had asked Chinese authorities to take action in the matter.
Yet, the popularity of the show in China is a reflection of the victory of South Korean soft power over Beijing. Last year too, China tried to take on the most popular K-Pop Boy Group – BTS. Yet, the Chinese propaganda machinery led by the CCP mouthpiece Global Times, had to back off after it proved no match for BTS’s worldwide fanbase – ARMY (Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth).
Also read: K-Pop legends BTS just demolished CCP propaganda and extensive boycott calls
On the other hand, the popularity of Squid Game in China proves that though Xi Jinping and the CCP hate the South Korean culture, the people of China simply love it. Squid Game has therefore left the CCP red-faced.
The Great Chinese Firewall, a myth?
The popularity of Squid Game in China is actually a symbol of how easily the Great Firewall can be done with.
The people in China are simply fascinated with Squid Game despite CCP’s clear objections with the dystopian thriller. The hashtag Squid Game got around 2 billion views on Chinese social media and related topics have also been trending for weeks.
Chinese social media users are even discussing how they would take on challenges featuring in the show and what a Chinese version of the South Korean thriller would look like. However, the reply written by one fan hints at a sense of disappointment with tight Chinese censors. The social media user said, “It’s not like it would pass censors if we made such a show ourselves… if it were too violent, it would just get taken down.”
We are really looking at some nascent signs of Chinese people getting disappointed with all the restrictions that the CCP imposes on them. Squid Game is just a thriller show at the end of the day, but if China’s Great Firewall can be breached as easily, we are literally looking at Chinese people laying their hands on politically important matters like foreign media criticism of the CCP and all the crimes that Chinese authorities are committing in regions like Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong.
Also, when Chinese people start viewing international shows and documentaries about freedom struggles and democratic revolutions, they will get some constructive ideas on how to overthrow the CCP. With the Great Firewall getting breached, the days of the CCP itself might get numbered.