The Chinese Ministry of Culture released a blacklist of 120 "harmful" songs on Monday, demanding that no individual or organization shall offer these songs anymore, because they have "trumpeted obscenity, violence, crime or harmed social morality."

Most of the banned tunes were unknown to the public and made by obscure singers or bands. Many have strikingly bizarre titles. This music might be popular only in some small-scale niche markets.

The ban has garnered overwhelming support from the Chinese public. Many netizens give a thumbs-up to the blacklist on their social media accounts, saying that these songs, judging by their titles and content, are detrimental to the younger generation. Even some of the artists, such as Chang Csun-yuk and Jerry Lo, said that some of their early works are not appropriate and they haven't sung them for a long time.

The blacklist has also made headlines on global media, which has associated the ban with censorship. Some have even judged that this is another crackdown on the freedom of speech and the press. Their stereotyped bias against China leads them to this unfair conclusion.

In fact, censorship of cultural products is everywhere and has become a norm of governance and business. For example, in the US, music channel MTV is known for its strict censorship of songs and videos, taking the greatest effort to make sure their cultural products are "politically correct." Cultural censorship is a controversial issue in most countries, because it is in conflict with the ideal state of free speech. But taboos in legal, moral and social terms have set limits on the orientation of these cultural products. As for the government, it never ceases to wield its leverage on this matter. The only difference is that different governments usually adopt different ways.

This is the first such blacklist issued by the Ministry of Culture. Media reports say it will get longer as more songs will be found "harmful." But, it would be better if the authorities could consider more feasible approaches instead of just relying on executive orders. Executive orders are effective, but every time one is used, there will be an intervention in the cultural industry, which should be dominated by the power of the market and proper guidance.

Besides, too many government directives will easily cause misunderstandings and antipathy. We hope the authority's regulation of the cultural industry can be conducted in a flexible manner under the framework of the market, such as introducing a ratings system, which has been under discussion for years, into the film and music spheres. Regulations need enforcement, but it should be done in a skillful way.