Nobel Literature laureate Mo Yan is accused in patriotism lawsuit of insulting China's heroes

High-profile lawsuit questions patriotism in China as blogger sues Nobel laureate Mo Yan for defamation.

His writing won China’s first Nobel Prize for Literature, but is it patriotic enough for Xi Jinping’s China? That’s the question at the centre of a high-profile lawsuit now driving a debate about nationalism in China.

Patriotic campaigns have become more common in recent years in China, as online nationalists attack journalists, writers or other public figures they say have offended the country's dignity, but it is unusual for a figure as prominent as Mo Yan to be targeted.

Patriotic blogger Wu Wanzheng, who goes by “Truth-Telling Mao Xinghuo” online, sued under a law that carries civil penalties and, in some cases, criminal punishments for perceived offences against China’s heroes and martyrs.

Wu claimed Mo’s books have smeared the Chinese Communist Party’s reputation, “beautified” enemy Japanese soldiers and insulted former revolutionary leader Mao Zedong.

The lawsuit filed last month demands that the author apologize to all Chinese people, the country’s martyrs and Mao, and pay damages of 1.5 billion yuan ($209 million) — 1 yuan for each Chinese person. He also requested that Mo’s books be removed from circulation.

Wu based his grievances on the 2018 law that made insulting heroes and martyrs a crime punishable by up to three years in prison. The law is part of President Xi’s campaign to fight “historical nihilism,” a phrase the party uses for any interpretation of historical events that runs counter to its official narrative.

Mo, whose real name is Guan Moye, won the Nobel in 2012. He is known for portraying rural life in China and delving into some of the downsides of the country’s rapid economic development.