As authorities in Shanghai remove copies of Animal Crossing: New Horizons from retail stores, the Prime Minister of Taiwan defends gaming and freedom of speech

A few days back, we heard about the Chinese government blocking the sale of Animal Crossing: New Horizons on reseller sites. This was due to Hong Kong protesters taking their message and spreading it virtually through the game. It appears things have now gone a step further, as brick-and-mortar resale stores in Shanghai are being visited by authorities who are out to make sure there are no copies of the game on store shelves.

This is in stark contrast to what's going on in Taiwan. Su Tseng-chang, the Prime Minister of Taiwan, has shared a message on Facebook that is clearly about Animal Crossing: New Horizons. In the message, Su Tseng-chang said that Taiwan will “never ban a game about picking up branches and growing trees and making fun of the government,” while also telling people to play video games “as much as possible” during these times. Final, Su Tseng-chang ended his message by saying that democracy and freedom of speech are “core values” of Taiwan.