The wording of the draft amendment is reminiscent of language used by Beijing to rein in free speech at home or to hit back at perceived slights by foreign countries and businesses. Several legal scholars have also questioned the implicit vagaries of the proposed amendment and the absence of specific guidelines. “State power directly interferes in the field of individual citizens’ daily clothing, which is obviously an overreaching intervention,” she wrote on Weibo. In the wake of this month’s draft amendment, one Weibo user questioned whether cosplayers or kimono-clad employees of Japanese restaurants might fall afoul of the proposed rules. “Why don’t we wear Chinese tunic suits or Hanfu?” he asked.

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Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, ”, Mark Schiefelbein, Tong Zhiwei, ’, Lao Dongyan, meanwhile, Lao Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, country’s Public, AP, East China University of Political Science, Law, Twitter, Beijing’s Tsinghua University Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Weibo, today’s China, Japan, Suzhou