Top News 头条
American pastor David Lin, who was detained in China 18 years ago while working with a non-government-sanctioned church and sentenced to life in prison, has been released and has returned safely to the United States. A State Department spokesperson said that the United States will “continue to push for the release of other Americans.”
Meanwhile, feminist journalist Huang Xueqin (Sophia Huang)’s appeal against her five year sentence for “incitement to subvert state power” was secretly rejected by the Guangdong High People’s Court without the knowledge of her lawyer, who says he was misled by the presiding judge in a “serious procedure violation.”
In Hong Kong, the first person officially convicted under the new Article 23 national security law is Chu Kai-pong, who has pleaded guilty to sedition for wearing a t-shirt with the slogan “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times.” He is expected to receive a sentence on Thursday.
Law & Policy 法律与政策
Commentary & Translation: China’s Plan to Raise Statutory Retirement Ages: China’s national legislature has swiftly passed new laws raising the statutory retirement ages for men and women over the next 15 years. The law was passed without opportunity for public comment.
PRC Supervision Law (Draft Amendment): New amendments to the Supervision Law create more specific guidelines for the detention and investigation of people suspected of abusing public office.
NPCSC Seeks Public Comment on 6 Bills: Anti-Corruption, Public Health Response, Energy, Anti–Money Laundering & National Parks: The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress is soliciting public comment on six bills through October 12, including the aforementioned PRC Supervision Law.
State Council Modernizes Mechanism for Overseeing Local Lawmaking and Administrative Rulemaking: Changhao Wei offers analysis of the State Council’s new regulation on the recording and review process for new laws, which expands and adjusts the powers of the State Council to review laws passed by lower levels of government.
Cyber Security & Digital Rights 网络安全与数字权利
Responding to AI Risks: The Cyberspace Administration of China released a document last week laying out potential AI risks and solutions, such as the “risk of challenging the traditional social order.”
Diaspora Community & Transnational Repression 海外社群和跨国镇压
Dissident Chinese journalist works on her next book from exile in Thailand: Investigative journalist Dai Qing spoke to RFA about her experience living in exile in Thailand.
Hong Kong pro-democracy councilor finds renewed purpose in exile: Carmen Lau describes how she has grown and matured alongside Hong Kong communities in exile, while trying to avoid complacency in her activism.
Human Rights Defenders & Civil Society 人权捍卫者与公民社会
Married Out: In rural China, women who marry out of their household registration area face persistent discrimination and denial of their rights as part of their villages. These women are pushing back, including through the courts, but they face a government unwilling to take real steps to address systemic issues.
Accused Tiananmen Informant's Silence Reveals Enduring "Public Secrecy" Around 1989: A phone conversation between investigative journalist Chai Jing and Xiong Zhaozheng, a novelist accused by the poet Ye Fu of selling him out to the Chinese authorities, provides an illuminating example of what Margaret Hillenbrand describes as “public secrecy,” where silence is maintained not only through government enforcement but also a complex mixture of discomfort, fear, and even shame among those involved.
China wants academic exchange but historians say increased censorship makes research hard: Intensifying crackdowns on “sensitive” materials have made it difficult for academics to find historical documents in China, creating a chilling effect on potential research.
Prominent Tibetan Buddhist monk sentenced to 3 years in prison: According to sources within Tibet, Lobsang Thabkhey was sentenced to three years in prison on unknown charges, likely related to publishing books from overseas Tibetans.
Hong Kong press group says dozens of journalists harassed: The Hong Kong Journalists Association announced that many of its journalists have faced ongoing harassment campaigns in the last several months, including death threats, and harassment of friends, family, and other associates.
Related: HKFP condemns harassment of Hong Kong’s independent press, reports intimidation of staff to police.
Final 8 Hongkongers charged over rioting near PolyU siege jailed for up to 4.5 years: The final eight individuals out of 213 arrested during the 2019 protests near Polytechnic University have been sentenced to over four years in prison.
Hong Kong court allows activist Chow Hang-tung to challenge female inmates’ clothing rules: Chow Hang-tung has been granted leave to apply for judicial review of the prison policy that requires female prisoners to wear long trousers year-round, while male prisoners are permitted to wear shorts in the summer, a policy Chow called “direct discrimination.”
Hong Kong social worker files complaint to gov’t watchdog over removal from licensing body: Hong Kong social worker Eddie Tse has filed a complaint after he says he was removed from the disciplinary committee without explanation. Tse had spoken out against the authorities’ “national security” overhaul of the Social Workers Licensing Board.
China’s Reach & Internal Control 中国: 内控与外扩
China to train thousands of overseas law enforcement officers to create ‘more fair’ world order: China plans to send police consultants abroad to conduct trainings for local law enforcement in countries around the world. However, some groups say the trainings include “Communist party-style authoritarian tactics.”
International Responses 国际反应
UK should outlaw imports of goods made by Xinjiang forced labour, says senior lawmaker: Labour MP Liam Byrne is pushing for a British version of the United States’ Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, to impose stricter supply chain controls and prevent goods made through forced labor from entering the UK.
Uyghur activists welcome Biden’s call to limit ‘de minimis’ exemption: Under the ‘de minimis’ exception, goods worth less than $800 avoid many customs checks when entering the United States. Activists say that this allows sellers on e-commerce platforms such as Temu to avoid restrictions on goods made with Uyghur forced labor.
US officials call for release of detained retired Uyghur doctor: Gulshan Abbas, a retired Uyghur doctor, has been imprisoned for six years in retaliation for the overseas activism of her sister, Rushan Abbas. Last week, a group of U.S. congresspersons shared a statement calling for her release.
UK report warns focus on national security ‘undermining’ Hong Kong’s reputation as city slams ‘hypocrisy’: A UK government report on Hong Kong says that the city’s focus on stamping out any threat to national security is undermining its international reputation. The Hong Kong government described the report as “bullying.”