Beijing (AFP) - Chinese censors should pay more attention to    public opinion, a state-run newspaper argued Wednesday, after    an online backlash over the removal of all cleavage from a TV    show about China's only female emperor.  
    "Empress of China", about the Tang dynasty ruler Wu Zetian, who    came to power at the end of the 7th century, was abruptly taken    off the air soon after its debut on satellite station Hunan TV    late last month, ostensibly for "technical reasons".  
    When it returned a week later, the show -- which stars actress    Fan Bingbing in the title role -- had been conspicuously edited    so that shots of female characters in mildly revealing period    dresses were instead tightly cropped to remove any sight of the    bulge of a breast.  
    The move ignited the fury of China's Internet users, who    contended that censors had gone a step too far and had sought    to rewrite the country's fashion history.  
    The Global Times newspaper, which is close to the ruling    Communist Party, noted in an editorial that while the    censorship was "largely done out of moral concerns", the    resulting public outcry should serve as a warning for the    future.  
    "While it is powerful, censorship lacks authority," it said.    "In this sense, when using censorship, more considerations    should be given to public opinion to garner support and avoid    similar incidents."  
    The rules governing censorship in China are opaque and reasons    are not provided for why cuts are made, but negative portrayals    of contemporary politics are often banned, as are revealing    scenes and issues that authorities believe could lead to social    unrest.  
    The Global Times insisted that the system of control was    necessary. "The reality is that censorship exists in many    countries and it is unlikely to be reversed in China," it    wrote.  
    The strict approval process has been criticised as arbitrary at    times, with films and TV series often scuttled at the last    moment -- and sometimes, as in the case of "Empress of China",    even after they have begun airing.  
    Last month, the premiere of acclaimed director Jiang Wen's    latest film, "Gone with the Bullets", was abruptly delayed due    to eleventh-hour demands by censors.  
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China cleavage censorship 'lacks authority': state media