China Tells its Olympic Fans to Mind Their Behavior

As the Paris Olympics unfold, Chinese authorities are taking decisive action against what they perceive as "aggressive fans," whose behavior is negatively impacting the performance of Chinese athletes. This move is part of a broader, ongoing effort by Beijing to address and regulate celebrity worship culture within the country.

In recent days, state media outlets have highlighted instances of "inappropriate" fan conduct, including booing during events and accusations of referee bias. This fan fervor reached a peak on August 3rd, following the women's singles table tennis final. In this highly anticipated match, Chen Meng emerged victorious over her compatriot Sun Yingsha, securing the gold medal.

The aftermath of this event saw an explosion of online support for Sun, despite her silver medal finish. Some supporters went so far as to denounce Chen's victory, attributing it solely to Sun's alleged exhaustion from participating in three earlier events. This outpouring of partisan support prompted swift action from Chinese social media platforms, which collectively removed tens of thousands of posts and suspended over 800 accounts for "spreading negativity and fomenting conflict" related to the match.

One particularly inflammatory comment from a Sun supporter expressed a wish for Chen to "test positive for a banned substance" so that the gold medal could be reassigned to Sun. This post sparked widespread online indignation. In a related development, authorities arrested a 29-year-old woman for posting defamatory comments about the match. While the specific content of her post remains undisclosed, police stated on Tuesday that she had "maliciously fabricated information and blatantly defamed others, resulting in an adverse impact on society."

This crackdown on fan behavior is not an isolated incident but rather the latest chapter in Beijing's ongoing campaign against what it terms "toxic" celebrity culture. Previous measures have included banning celebrity rankings, restructuring fan clubs, and regularly purging "harmful" content from fan pages.

State-run media outlets, including the Global Times newspaper, have published numerous articles condemning "fan culture" in sports. One report claimed that "numerous Chinese people" are now concerned about "the visibly aggressive fan culture that threatens to erode the sporting world." Beyond inflammatory comments directed at athletes, authorities have also criticized fans for excessively loud cheering, using flash photography during competitions, and profiteering from the sale of athlete-signed memorabilia.

The state news agency Xinhua emphasized in a video report on Wednesday that this fan culture "not only affects the training and competition of Chinese athletes but also seriously affects the reputation of Chinese sports." Shanghai Daily echoed these sentiments, publishing a commentary urging social media platforms to "enforce strict policies against malicious behaviors" and calling on sporting organizations to "take a firm stance against... fan mania."

It's worth noting that Chinese authorities had issued warnings about "fan culture" even before the Paris Olympics commenced. In late 2023, the Chinese Olympic Committee and the General Administration of Sport of China jointly reprimanded fans following repeated incidents of filming and following athletes. They described these "low-level fans" as being "driven by their love for idols" and making "impulsive" and "irrational actions that endanger the normal order of events, public order, and good customs, sportsmanship, and social morality."

This stance was reinforced ahead of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, when the committee warned Chinese Olympians against involvement in fan clubs, expressing a desire to "resolutely put an end to the spread of the chaos of fan culture to the field of sports."

The athletes themselves have voiced their desire for respectful treatment. Veteran table tennis player Deng Yaping, for instance, urged fans to "express our preferences without attacking others."

As the Paris Olympics continue, the world watches not only the athletic performances but also this unfolding drama of fan culture and state intervention. The situation raises important questions about the balance between passionate support and respect for all athletes, as well as the role of state authorities in shaping public behavior in the realm of sports fandom.