China Tobacco allegedly altered Chinese translation of Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

An investigation by The Examination indicates that the Chinese version of the WHO treaty was allegedly dictated by the China National Tobacco Corporation. Dozens of changes were reportedly made, using less restrictive language than that used in the treaty.

Adopted in 2003, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), led by the World Health Organization (WHO), is the first international health treaty. It requires the 183 parties that have ratified it to take measures that have been proven effective in protecting populations from the dangers of tobacco use. For example, it requires bans on smoking in public places to protect against exposure to second-hand smoke and bans on advertising, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products.

An investigation by The Examination media outlet today shows that the Chinese translation of the FCTC was heavily influenced by the China National Tobacco Corporation (CNTC), the state-owned tobacco monopoly in China.[1].

A translation where the obligations have been relaxed

In 2003, the Chinese delegation in charge of adopting the FCTC included several representatives from the CNTC. It agreed to sign the Chinese translation of the final version of the FCTC on the condition that it be given a period of review. During this period, the CNTC made dozens of subtle changes to the WHO translation. Obligations (“shall”) became options (“should”), and absolute expressions (“total”) were softened (“broad”). Twenty years after its adoption, this revised version by the CNTC still serves as the official translation, according to the translation expert commissioned by The Examination.

This obscure chapter in the fight against smoking was reported in 2018 in a book devoted to the history of the tobacco industry in China, co-authored by anti-smoking activist Wu Yiqun. The story of this distorted translation had not been brought to the attention of the general public until now, but it had been known since 2005. At the very least, it confirms the need to respect Article 5.3 of the FCTC, which stipulates that public health policies must be protected from interference by the tobacco industry. The presence of CNTC leaders in the Chinese delegation is in itself a problem.

CNTC slows down anti-tobacco campaign in China

As the world's largest tobacco market, China consumes 48,133,000 of the tobacco in circulation. While smoking prevalence has declined globally over the past 20 years, it has remained stable in China, where smoking remains the norm. This is due in part to the CNTC's efforts to to prevent the adoption of the most effective protective measures (smoking bans, price increases, etc.) and to maintain a high level of consumption. The CNTC has also tried to prevent the adoption of measures at the Conferences of the Parties (COP) of the FCTC, including the implementing guidelines on labelling and packaging with broad graphic health warnings.

Exercising a state monopoly, the CNTC is a public enterprise that brought in, in profits as well as taxes, 213 billion dollars (195 billion euros) to the Chinese State in 2022. This represents 7 % of the State's revenues, or the equivalent of the annual Defense budget. Long focused on the Chinese domestic market, the CNTC has been active for several years for export to establish itself among the tobacco multinationals.

The health cost of smoking for the Chinese population, which continues to grow and absorb the resources of the health system, should nevertheless put the sums collected from the tobacco trade into perspective. Studies conducted in other countries on the social cost of tobacco indicate that the costs to society can be up to ten times higher than the taxes collected. 3,000 people die from smoking in China every day, or more than a million people per year, with these figures expected to increase in the coming years.

Keywords: China, CNTC, CCLAT, translation

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[1] McLure J, Leung S, How a tobacco giant changed a global anti-tobacco treaty, The Examination, published December 20, 2023, accessed December 21, 2023