Lonely Planet, Rough Guides and Time Out are understood to have had guides to China blocked because they mention the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, according to the Bookseller. All three publishers have no plans to change their guides. 'We wouldn't consider changing our information based on pressure from governments or local publishers,' said Rough Guides spokesman Anna Paynton.
Meanwhile, HarperCollins has acquired world rights to Travel Around China, a guide that 'will have no politics in it.'
'When I travel I don't want to know about politics and propaganda; I want to know where it is and how to get there,' said HC CEO Jane Friedman. 'You have to make a decision about whether to make a political statement or whether to publish a book: we're not here to make waves.'
