China has canceled planned TED Talks that were set to take place in the city of Guangzhou. As per reports, this was done over concerns that they were associated with a foreign non-governmental organization. 

According to a statement posted on social media by TEDxGuangzhou on Monday, the conference that was supposed to take place on August 13 was cancelled after authorities notified the organizers they had not complied with legislation governing international non-governmental organizations.

The schedule of the TEDxGuangzhou 2023 conference, as per the South China Morning Post (SCMP), included a dozen talks by artists, researchers, campus anti-bullying advocates, and entrepreneurs. 

As per the report, the event brochure also advertised small-scale discussions and workshops.

China has tightened its oversight over NGOs during President Xi Jinping’s decade in power. Foreign NGOs are required to register with authorities under a 2017 law that subjects them to stringent reporting requirements. Under the law, organizations without a representative office in China must have a government sponsor and a local cooperative partner before holding activities.

On Monday, in a post on WeChat — China's alternative to WhatsApp — the organizers said that the Guangzhou police's office for the management of foreign non-governmental organizations has told them to "establish a domestic representative office" or apply for a temporary permit to comply with the law.

TEDx events are held independently of TED Conferences LLC, which grants licenses for the presentations as long as its principles are followed.

TEDxGuangzhou has reportedly rejected the police's characterization of associations with a foreign non-governmental organization and said that they "are a group of local volunteers who occasionally come together to plan some activities."

"We are not an 'organization', and there is no employment or remuneration relationship between us or with TED. Therefore, we do not fall under the jurisdiction of this law, which pertains to foreign NGOs registered overseas that wish to conduct business in China."

The organizers stated that they were considering the idea of securing a temporary license despite this, out of concern about possible legal repercussions.

However, they cautioned that due to the requirement for a written agreement between TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design), a North American non-profit media company, and its Chinese partners, obtaining the license at such short notice was challenging.

Earlier this year, China abruptly postponed a number of events, including outdoor concerts with international attendees. Authorities previously stopped a production company's performances and levied a $2 million punishment when a comedian made fun of a military motto that Xi frequently employs.

Several LGBTQ-related activities, including several connected to June's Pride celebrations, were also postponed.

Image source: Twitter