First meeting of writers from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan takes place in the former British colony. Some 20 mainland writers were advised not to come or were blocked. The Communist Party opposes any revision of the country’s past as Hu Jintao’s ‘harmonious society’ appears to be nothing more than an empty slogan.

Hong Kong (AsiaNews/Agencies) – “A change towards chilliness in Beijing's political climate” is increasingly noticeable, said Gao Yu, a political journalist imprisoned for seven years and banned from working on the mainland. The 62-year-old Ms Gao (see photo) spoke at a five-day meeting of writers from Hong Kong, Taiwan and mainland China sponsored by International Pen, a worldwide association of writers. The event ended yesterday with a call for Beijing to allow greater freedom of expression.

More than 120 writers from Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Nepal, the Philippines, Europe, North America and Australia took part in the conference. It was held in part to show solidarity to Chinese writers at a time of greater censorship. However, only 15 writers from the mainland managed to cross into the Territory. More than 20 other mainland writers were either banned or warned off from attending. For instance, writer Qin Geng had his travel document to Hong Kong rescinded, whilst two other mainland writers, Zan Aizong and Zhao Dagong, were stopped at the border.

Zhang Yihe, who decided not to come after receiving “advice” to that effect from some officials, saw her book on Peking opera stars included in a list of eight books recently banned. The others include personal memoirs or fictionalised accounts of China’s Maoist past ranging from the great purges against intellectuals and the Great Leap Forward to the Cultural Revolution, episodes that the Chinese Communist Party considers very sensitive and wants to keep under wrap.

“The recent banning of eight books . . . bore out the inharmoniousness in the so-called harmonious society,” Ms Gao said. “I'm not sure this is a workable way to obtain social harmony. Actually it's only counter-productive if you try to maintain social stability like this [by restricting freedom of expression].”

The term “harmonious society” refers to what Chinese President Hu Jintao views as a more just society, free of social contradictions. However, for many Chinese it is but empty rhetoric.

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