V&A Museum Censors Exhibition Catalogues to Comply with Chinese Printer Demands
The Victoria and Albert Museum, one of the United Kingdom's most prestigious cultural institutions, has quietly agreed to remove maps and images from at least two recent exhibition catalogues following explicit demands from its Chinese printing company. This startling revelation comes from documents obtained by the Guardian through freedom of information requests, exposing how Beijing's censorship apparatus extends its reach into British cultural publications.
The Censorship Mechanism
Like numerous other prominent British institutions including the British Museum, Tate, and the British Library, the V&A frequently utilizes Chinese printing companies due to their ability to produce catalogues at approximately half the cost of British or European alternatives. However, this cost-saving measure comes with significant strings attached: these institutions must comply with censorship requests concerning any topics or images deemed sensitive by the Chinese government.
The scope of prohibited content is remarkably broad, encompassing references to Buddhism, Taiwan, Tibet, Tiananmen Square, pro-democracy activities, and even historical figures like Lenin. Most surprisingly, the censorship extends to historical maps and photographs that appear entirely unrelated to contemporary political issues.
Specific Cases of Censorship
For the catalogue accompanying the "Music is Black" exhibition, which opened recently, the V&A intended to feature a 1930s illustration depicting trade routes of the British Empire. However, in November of last year, an email from the museum's Chinese printers, C&C Offset Printing, explicitly stated that this map had been rejected by Beijing's censorship body, the General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP).
The printers' email explained: "There is a map on p10 relates to China (there is China border here and we need to use the standard maps from Chinese Government) and GAPP rejected it. Our suggestion is to delete this map or use another image."
Despite evident bafflement at this decision, the V&A complied. Internal email exchanges revealed the censorship caused printing delays and considerable frustration among museum staff. One email noted: "It's a historic map showing British colonial rule so nothing to do with China – just shows China on the map and that seems to be enough to warrant rejection! Printing paused while we amend files ... SORRY."
The map was originally intended to illustrate an introduction by Gus Casely-Hayford, director of V&A East. When informed of the situation, Casely-Hayford responded sympathetically, suggesting alternative imagery. Ultimately, the museum replaced the censored map with a photograph of people arriving in Southampton aboard the liner Begoña after a voyage from the West Indies.
Additional Censorship Incidents
In another instance, the V&A agreed to remove a map intended for the catalogue of its 2021 exhibition "Fabergé: Romance to Revolution." Additionally, the museum pulled a photograph of Lenin from the same publication after the Chinese printers warned that Lenin could be deemed "sensitive" by GAPP.
An email from the V&A production team to a curator expressed clear frustration: "The Chinese printer is not able to print the book with the revolution/Lenin image at the start of your essay. I should have foreseen this, but the list of restrictions is ever changing."
Institutional Responses and Justifications
In an official statement, the V&A characterized the changes demanded by China as "minor" and stated: "We carefully consider, on a case-by-case basis, where we print all of our books. We sometimes print in China, but maintain close editorial oversight. We were comfortable making minor edits, as they did not affect the narrative and we would obviously pull production if we felt any requested change was problematic."
The British Museum, currently chaired by George Osborne who previously championed closer UK-China economic relations as chancellor, refused to respond to specific questions about how it handles Chinese censorship requests regarding at least eight recent publications printed in China. A spokesperson offered only a general statement about working with printers based on quality, availability, schedules, and cost.
The British Library claimed it has never encountered censorship issues with Chinese-printed catalogues, while Tate confirmed using Chinese printers for children's books and some catalogues but asserted: "Tate Publishing has never changed the content of any books at the request of a printer."
Broader Industry Context
A UK publisher who requested anonymity highlighted the economic pressures driving this trend: "We have tried to print in this country, but it is just very expensive. We just had a quote from a Welsh printer that was double what we're paying in China. There is always a delay in the print process while it goes through a body in China that checks up things. There are sensitivities about maps and anything that mentions Tibet for example."
A former employee of C&C Offset Printing offered a straightforward explanation: "Of course printing content disapproved by Chinese government is forbidden. Why should it be surprising? It's a Chinese company."
These disclosures reveal the complex ethical and practical dilemmas facing publicly funded British cultural institutions as they balance financial considerations against principles of artistic and historical integrity. The detailed documentation from the V&A provides unprecedented insight into how Beijing's censorship mechanisms operate through commercial relationships, affecting even seemingly apolitical historical materials in foreign publications.
