WorldCon Potential Future - 2023

I follow the activities of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from time to time.  Mostly because I expect the proverbial "other shoe to drop".

The CCP has engaged in a decades-long propaganda campaign to normalize their activities and expand their relationships abroad.  At the same time, there has been a subtle campaign to establish cultural norms for the people of China that will give the CCP greater control over that society.

There is a bid to host WorldCon in Chengdu China in 2023 that is on the ballot this year.  Some of the more engaged members of WorldCon fandom have registered their concerns.  Their bid appears to have the general support of the CCP.  I'm not sure how deep that support actually runs.

This is my prediction.  Should the CCP actually consider hosting a WorldCon to be a significant enough activity within the context of their propaganda effort, then they may "encourage" some of their citizens to purchase supporting memberships that will (eventually) be allowed to vote this year on the site selection for 2023.  If they "encourage" enough participation, they could ensure that the Chengdu bid will win.

I would then expect there to be additional English language publishing of translations of works by Chinese authors in 2022 so that such works would be eligible for the awards in 2023.  

Thus far there are only 11 members of DisConIII from China out of a total of 4649 paid members.  One should reasonably expect that number to increase somewhat as we get closer to the Con actually happening.  Fandom exists everywhere, including in the PRC.

But if those numbers skyrocket into the thousands, then a more organized/directed effort may be underway.

What inspired me to put down this marker was a recent story about the CCP taking an interest in shaping Chinese popular culture.  Prominent media company owners and personalities have been forced out of the limelight and even out of China.  Entrepreneur Jack Ma has largely disappeared after he dared to criticize the CCP.  Then there has been the trampling of individual rights in Hong Kong and the serial threats against Taiwan.

A CCP that has the capacity for that sort of discrete targetting of individuals is a CCP that has the potential to "encourage" a pop-up campaign to capture the 2023 WorldCon.

I hope I'm wrong.  I think the odds are good that I am wrong.  It's just not far enough outside of the range of possibilities for my comfort.