The Three Ts
The Three Ts in the context of the People's Republic of China are Taiwan, Tibet, and Tiananmen. Specifically, discussion of Taiwanese independence, human rights in Tibet, and the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre are considered three of the most contentious issues to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Overview
The political status of Taiwan (particularly discussion of Taiwanese independence), human rights in Tibet, and the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre are the three of the most contentious issues to the CCP.[1] Foreigners are advised not to raise these topics in discussion with Chinese citizens as this could put them in an "uncomfortable" situation.[2]
Journalist Eveline Chao said that she was told to avoid stories about the Three Ts when working in China.[3]
Academics at British Universities have faced pressure to avoid the Three Ts and praise the CCP. They were threatened with the cancellation of their Chinese visas which would have ended their ability to do research in China.[1]
Variants
The Two Ts
For businesses only two of the three Ts are generally relevant, Tibet and Taiwan. Foreign companies operating in China must be careful to avoid appearing to violate the party line on either topic.[4] As many large businesses benefit from outsourced Chinese labor, they are unable to speak up about the human rights violations in China without angering the CCP and likely losing their profits within China. This occurred in 2019, when Daryl Morey of the Houston Rockets tweeted in support of Hong Kong's protesters, a contentious issue the CCP wishes to shut down. After threats from China, the tweet was deleted and the NBA apologized.[5]
The Three Ts and Two Cs
The Three Ts and Two Cs is an alternate formulation with the same Three Ts with the addition of “cults” (a euphemism for Falun Gong) and “criticism” of the CCP.[6]
The Forbidden Ts
They have also been referred to as the Forbidden Ts.[7]
See also
References
- ^ a b Das, Shanti. "Beijing leans on UK dons to praise Communist Party and avoid 'the three Ts — Tibet, Tiananmen and Taiwan'". The Times. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
- ^ Schiller, Bill (2008-01-04). "Beijing braces for 'The Three T's'". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2025-08-06.
- ^ Chao, Eveline (26 October 2012). "Me and My Censor". foreignpolicy.com. Foreign Policy. Archived from the original on 24 February 2021. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
- ^ Spector, Mike; Ma, Wayne (2018-06-02). "If You Want to Do Business in China, Mind Your T's: Taiwan and Tibet". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Archived from the original on 2020-11-07. Retrieved 2025-08-06.
- ^ Yglesias, Matthew (2019-10-07). "The raging controversy over the NBA, China, and the Hong Kong protests, explained". Vox. Archived from the original on 2019-10-16. Retrieved 2021-01-14.
- ^ Watts, Jonathan (2006-01-25). "Backlash as Google shores up great firewall of China". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 2020-09-20. Retrieved 2025-08-06.
- ^ Mohan, Geeta (19 December 2020). "German MP sports T-shirt supporting Taiwan, Tiananmen and Tibet". www.indiatoday.in. India Today. Archived from the original on 2 January 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2020.