China contemplates banning clothes that offend people

The Chinese government is currently deciding whether it would impose fines, and possibly jail time, for people who wore certain clothing.

The Chinese government is considering a law that would impose fines, and possibly jail time, on people whose clothing “hurts the feelings” of others.

The proposed law, first reported by Bloomberg, was released in a draft of revisions from the Standing Committee of China’s legislature.

The law would ban a range of behaviour, including dress or speech deemed to be “detrimental to the spirit of the Chinese people and hurts the feelings of the Chinese people,” Fox News reports.

People in China could face fines and jail time if their clothing were to hurt the feelings of others. Picture: Wang Zhao / AFP

It remains unclear what specific times of images or speech would be considered offensive. But punishment could range from a fine, equivalent to around $US950 ($A1480), or being sent to a detention centre for 15 days.

The proposed law has provoked mixed reactions. One lawyer, cited in the report, argued on Weibo, that the law would “definitely bring huge uncertainty and open wide the door of convenience to arbitrary and unauthorised punishment”.

President of China Xi Jinping. Picture: Gianluigi Guercia / POOL / AFP

The law underscores Chinese President Xi Jinping’s tight grip on the country after more than a decade in power.

Earlier this year, China expanded its legal framework to target those expected to or affiliated with threatening national security, putting pressure on the relationship between foreigners in China and Chinese working with foreign entities across all fields.

This article originally appeared in Fox News and was reproduced with permission