Porn in the west is so common that the makers, distributors and stars of porn films don’t feel they have to hide. Quite the opposite; not only are they very public figures but they have legions of fans who follow them via social media, conventions, personal websites and public appearances. This is in addition to appreciating their ‘performances’ on the web. So, is opposite true in China? According to official statements – yes.
China banned all pornography in 2002 and, since 2008, the government has been very active in cracking down on those who make and distribute porn. Those found guilty are subject to fines and extended prison sentences. But, that is on only the surface, based on official statements. The reality is an entirely different story.
Porn is big business, and the lure of money made from porn is no different in China than in the rest of the world. Often, organized crime benefits from the sale of hard-core pornography.
Approximately 10 years ago, organized crime was said to be earning 1.7 million per day from the sale of hard-core pornography. The current figures from porn sales is guess work at best but the numbers have significantly increased over the past decade.
Today, it is estimated that the porn industry in China is worth over 27 billion dollars per year, and sources claim it to be as high as 36 billion. That means that over ¼ of the money made in the world from porn is being made in China – a country that is supposed to be actively policing the porn industry. While pornography production is technically illegal throughout most of Asia, it is clearly still being made in large volumes and sold throughout the Asian sub continent.
The more lenient countries such as Hong Kong categorize porn on different levels. Movies such as ‘Category 3 Adult’ movies, which are produced in Hong Kong, are not the same as hard-core XXX movies made elsewhere; these movies are known for graphic violence, nudity, sexuality and explicit sex scenes. They are shown, and sold, throughout Hong Kong and Mainland China. Occasionally, a ‘Category 3’ movie, such as the second Sex and Zen, is judged as being too hot and is banned from being publically shown in Mainland China by Chinese censors.
Then, of course, we have the Internet. And China ranks as the world’s largest Internet community with over 600 million users.
To put the Internet community in China into perspective – the United States (which sees itself as a very tech heavy country) has less than 300 million Internet users. This means that China has more than double the number of Internet users than the United States and Chinese users access the Internet largely via mobile devices. This has created new problems for Chinese authorities.
Mobile devices, social media and cloud sharing have caused an increase in amateurs filming themselves, and each other, having sex and putting it on the web. Recently, one video was even uploaded and played on screens across a busy shopping mall in the city of Lishui. A month previously, images of people having sex in the changing room of a Beijing retailer also circulated across social media.
While pornography is banned in Mainland China, the associated territories of Taiwan and Hong Kong are different stories with the majority of the laws aimed mainly at protecting minors (under 18 in those regions) from being exposed to pornography. However, pornography and sex related movies and websites are created in these regions, and then are brought into Mainland China via the black market which is controlled by organized crime.
While we may consider these regions of China to be relatively small, consider the statement that, last year alone, it was estimated that the porn industry in China generated over 27 billion dollars (some say as high as 36 billion), followed by South Korea (at 25+ billion) and Japan at almost 20 billion, (although Japan is largely known for its fetish market), making 3 countries in Asia the consumers and producers of almost ¾ of all pornography in the world.
Not only has the ban been ineffective in stopping pornography, it also hasn’t prevented names such as Evelyn Lin, Mika Tan, Alina Li, Asa Akira, Loletta Lee, Amy Yip and many others from becoming internationally recognized names; sometimes long after their retirement. Examples of their work is easily found throughout the Internet.
An Internet search of ‘Chinese Porn Stars’ will reveal long lists of names. While many live outside of China, they are listed as they are considered to be of Chinese descent. Many people in the west who hate porn feel it should be banned or criminalized to eliminate it, but how effective is banning? Again, porn sales in China are worth an estimated 27+ billion (some sources say as high as 36 billion) dollars per year, while in North America that number is between 14-15 billion dollars per year. This means the country that banned pornography has almost double the amount of sales of the country that has not banned it.
While it could be argued that China’s population should be considered, keep in mind that, while it is improving at a rapid pace, the standard of living in China is still much lower than North America. Many Chinese do not have the same resources to access porn as many North Americans do. And, remember that the penalties for pornography are more severe in China. So, could the popularity of porn in China be due to no sex trade?
The answer is – no. In fact, China has quite an active sex trade with brothels (sometimes multi generational) operating fairly openly under the guise of being massage parlours or hair salons as well as brothels. Prostitution in China is so lucrative that Japanese porn actresses willingly travel to China to become prostitutes for wealthy Chinese businessmen. Every year, hundreds of thousands of women travel from all over Asia, (especially from North and South Korea) Africa, Europe and Russia both willingly, and unwillingly, to work in Chinese brothels. And, like porn, prostitution is banned in China; although changing social views and corruption have caused fewer crackdowns on prostitution during recent years and police are discouraged from interfering too much with willing exchanges.
So, what’s at the heart of the reason that porn is such a big draw in China? While there is no official reason,, it would seem that changing social values, increased anonymity (mobile web access) and rising living standards are all contributing factors. Most surprisingly is the fact that many of the women involved in the porn industry do not hide what they do, and publically state they enjoy their ‘work’. Many plan to continue working either in front of or behind the camera for many years.
While none of this addresses the problems of criminal activity associated with China’s sex trade, (and there are many; some quite serious) it is an eye-opening look at the realities of porn in an area where everything is being done to stamp out it’s very existence. And a look at changing social values in a country steeped in tradition.
John Goodale is the author of ‘Johnny Gora’ (available through Amazon.com), and a number of articles here on TMRZoo.com. His monthly column ‘Indy Comics Spotlight’ appears here and through his blog Indy Comics Spotlight
