Is Hulu Coming To China?

Oh wow. Hulu is planning an entry into the People’s Republic just months after Google seceded?

Here’s proof:

In a speech at Tsinghua University in Beijing yesterday, Hulu CEO Jason Kilar said Hulu plans to eventually launch services in China, and is currently considering allowing users to upload videos. Hulu has already established an R&D team in Beijing.

Wait. It gets jucier.

Kilar reportedly also met secretly with Victor Koo, CEO of Youku; Gong Yu, CEO of Baidu’s (Nasdaq: BIDU) Qiyi; Lü Wensheng, CEO of Joy.cn; and the China head of Providence Equity Partners on June 2 in Tsinghua University’s Science & Technology building.

Oh cool. Welcome. Just make sure your vids are free of the following “controversial content”, and you should be fine…

• content that opposes the principles as set out by the Chinese Constitution (note: this includes the four topics that are not open to public debate, including party rule, the “socialist path”, and polit stuff like that);

• content that endangers national unity and sovereignty;
• content that leaks state secrets, endangers national security, or goes against national interests or slanders China;
• content inciting ethnic hatred and violence, thus endangering ethnic unity or practises;
• pro-cult content;
• content disrupting public order or social stability (there’s a very elastic provision);
• content inciting minors to commit offences or crimes, as well as those that beautify violence, porn, gambling or terrorism;
• libel; or content that infringes the legal interests of citizens and their privacy;
• content that goes against social norms or harms ethnic culture;
• content banned by other “related national laws”

(As per the 2008 Internet Audiovisual Program Management Regulations.)

We envision the “harmonization” of Hulu (at least the Chinese version) — at least don’t expect any “controversial content” regarding the “two Ps” (porn and politics) — if they’re to stay in China for any length, that is.