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Guangdong National Language Regulations
Chinese provincial language law From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Guangdong National Language Regulations[1] are a set of laws enacted in 2012 by the Government of Guangdong to promote the use of Standard Chinese in broadcast and print media at the expense of the local varieties of Chinese—namely Cantonese, Hakka and Teochew. It has been labelled as "pro-Mandarin, anti-Cantonese" legislation (廢粵推普、推普廢粵).[2] The law was signed and came into effect on 1 March 2012.[3][4][5]
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Law
The regulations generally require broadcasts in Guangdong to use Standard Chinese,[6] with programs and channels in other varieties able to broadcast if approved by the national or provincial government.[6] In addition, public signage is to be written using simplified characters, with exceptions for historical sites, pre-registered logos, or when approved by the state.[6] In addition, government employees, including teachers, conference holders, broadcasters, and TV staff are required to use Standard Chinese.[7] Public brands, seals, documents, websites, signs, and trade names are not to use traditional characters or character variants.[3][8]
Guangdong governor Zhu Xiaodan signed the law, and set 1 March 2012 as the date for it to take effect.[3]
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Responses
The signing has triggered massive negative responses in Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Macau. There were talks of raising movements.[7][clarification needed] The effects of the law were characterized as tantamount to the elimination of autochthonous Cantonese culture.[9] On 24 December 2011, the Guangdong government held a press conference stating that the regulation does not in fact ban Cantonese;[10] one official stating that such a ban will never occur. Currently, the Guangdong province has two channels approved to broadcast mainly in Cantonese, while various other channels and radio stations have dialect programs.[10]
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See also
References
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