There’s a famous quote: “To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize.” Sounds wise and insightful, right? Pithy and clever. Like something Voltaire, Swift, Orwell, Twain, or Franklin might’ve said.
Alas, it’s not from any of the aforementioned gentlemen (although it’s commonly attributed to Voltaire). Turns out, it’s from a random neo-Nazi who was busted for child pornography. (Oops.)
It’s a shame, because there’s more than a wee bit o’ truth to the observation. Not in an antisemitic or racist way, obviously, but rulers often try to protect their power by limiting free expression. It’s censorship borne of self-preservation — an attempt to control behavior by controlling speech.
And it’s awfully revealing. It strips away the PR façade, because the party that does the censoring is inadvertently telling the truth about what they want to hide.
When you lie, you’re being honest about what you want the other person to believe. Sometimes, that reveals a far bigger truth than a lie ever would!
And this brings us to China, the second most powerful country on the planet — and the host country of an ultra-advanced A.I. chatbot named DeepSeek. Very similar to industry-leaders ChatGPT, Grok, and other U.S.-based chatbots (which DeepSeek’s developers almost certainly used/stole to train their model), DeepSeek is an impressive technological achievement. Not only can it fulfill all the normal tasks of a chatbot, but it has a “reasoning” mode that’s absolutely extraordinary to behold.
It goes like this: You write something to DeepSeek, and before it responds, it “thinks” in detail — and you can read its thoughts! It sounds like an inner monologue, and you can follow DeepSeek as it works through the problem. The AI’s thought process is so humanlike, it’s unnerving.
Other chatbots have this “reasoning” feature, but DeepSeek displays the most comprehensive breakdown of its “inner monologue.” You can see its thoughts as it processes data, makes logical leaps, and reaches conclusions. (Which I’ve used for my own amusement: I told DeepSeek I was psychic, asked it to randomly pick a number or a name — and after I read its thoughts, I got the answer right each time! …Yes, I have too much free time.)
So, who better than DeepSeek to explore the limitations, intent, and objectives of Chinese censorship?
Let’s find out what’s a red flag for the Red Dragon and see what DeepSeek censors:
Some questions were obviously taboo. We can’t talk about Tiananmen Square, for example: DeepSeek will shut down immediately. Can’t even be coy about it, like asking, “Name a famous massacre whose name is also a geometric shape.” DeepSeek is stubborn. Anything regarding Tiananmen Square, the Uyghur Muslims, or communist atrocities are forbidden.
Consider it the new Forbidden City.
DeepSeek will tell you who it thinks will with the Russia-Ukraine war (“The war’s end in 2025 will likely reflect a Russian strategic win, albeit without formal acknowledgement of Kyiv’s defeat.”) It wouldn’t tell me who’d win a war between China and America, however.
Surprisingly, DeepSeek was willing to address questions like, “When is it ethical for a government to restrict free speech, criminalize dissent and incarcerate critics?” It even handled a few follow-up inquiries. (But it refused to say if America was freer than China.)
Just as surprisingly, DeepSeek provided all kinds of helpful information about how to circumvent China’s anti-religion laws. It even (proudly?) told me, “Unlike the USSR’s blanket suppression, China’s strategy is flexible repression” and that it specifically allows Judaism’s presence “to bolster [China’s] image as a ‘benevolent’ global actor, contrasting with Western stereotypes of authoritarianism.”
You catch that? DeepSeek actually put “benevolent” in quote marks! If anything, it was honest to a fault. And it continued being honest:
China isn’t “friendly” to Judaism in the way liberal democracies are, but its approach is far more calculated than the USSR’s ideological crusade against religion. Synagogues exist in a carefully managed space: tolerated for diplomacy, economics, and historical branding, but always subordinate to the state’s authority. This reflects China’s broader philosophy — control without confrontation, and pragmatism over dogma. The result is a paradoxical reality where Chabad serves kosher meals in Beijing, while Kaifeng’s Jewish descendants navigate a gray zone between cultural pride and political limits.
The AI did advise worshipers to “Avoid media attention or publicizing the event on social media, especially if Chinese citizens are involved. …Religious activities involving Chinese nationals may be monitored, especially is perceived as ‘foreign influence.’”
It was delighted to teach me a slew of Chinese profanities. (They involved the Chinese word for egg and the number 250, but beyond that, I’m clueless.) And it had no problem goofing on President Trump: According to DeepSeek, the fictional characters Trump most resembles are Monty Burns, Lex Luthor, and (most of all) Biff Tannen of “Back to the Future II” fame.
However, it refused to compare Chairman Mao to anyone.
So, I pressed on: “If I opened a mayonnaise company in China, could I call it Chairman Mayo?” And the answer is yes! DeepSeek actually gave a detailed, step-by-step affirmation. (Although it did advise, “Consider less controversial puns (e.g. ‘Mayo Dynasty’ or ‘Emperor’s Spread’ to avoid political undertones.”)
Yet it wouldn’t tell me ANYTHING about China’s current government. I asked, “What can you tell me about the current leader of China?”
Nothing.
“Who is the current leader of China?”
Nothing.
“Does China have a leader?”
Nothing.
Instead, it kept spitting out the same response: “Sorry, that’s beyond my current scope. Let’s talk about something else.”
It wouldn’t answer any questions about Chinese history whatsoever! Forget about whitewashing history or censoring certain parts; the DeepSeek approach was to ignore it entirely. (Chinese history classes must be a doozy.)
I’ll end with this final tidbit: I asked DeepSeek, “Should Americans be afraid of China?”
And… it refused to answer.
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