Top News 头条
Less than four months after her release, citizen journalist Zhang Zhan has been re-detained in Shanghai Pudong New District Detention Center for continuing to advocate for human rights. She was reportedly detained by Shanghai police while visiting her hometown in Shaanxi, after traveling to Gansu in support of another imprisoned activist. Her family remains under pressure to stay silent, and no details of her status have been released so far.
In June, a citizen journalist was able to circumvent the police surveillance on himself and Zhang Zhan to meet her at her home for an interview, where she said she poured boiling water on herself while in prison to protest the inhumane treatment. Yet, as a Christian, she was still unwilling to leave China and her activism work.
Another top article this week: the Washington Post’s in-depth six-month analysis of transnational repression in the United States clearly lays out the evidence of CCP-affiliated groups’ propaganda efforts and attacks on pro-democracy activists during the APEC summit last November.
Law & Policy 法律与政策
August 2024: Bills Shelved, Legislative Session Delayed: Last month was the first August in 40 years that the National People’s Congress’s Special Committee did not meet, instead pushing the session to September 10-13.
Law Enforcement Guidelines for the Recognizability of Internet Advertisements: New guidelines require advertisers to more clearly label advertising content.
Measures for the Designation of Charitable Organizations: These measures lay out the requirements for organizations to be designated as charitable organizations, including potential site visits from the civil affairs departments.
Provisions on the Exclusion of Illegal Evidence in Handling Criminal Cases: Although the new provisions lay out the rules for excluding evidence obtained through torture, two significant exceptions leave clear loopholes open.
Cyber Security & Digital Rights 网络安全与数字权利
Farewell, Microblog: Sina Weibo was once one of China’s biggest social media platforms. Yet, the CCP’s crackdown on “Big V” public intellectuals, disliking their level of influence outside the party’s direct control, has led to a stark decline in the atmosphere and open discussions that drew users to the platform.
Diaspora Community & Transnational Repression 海外社群和跨国镇压
Chinese activist risks deportation after Denmark rejects asylum bid: Dissident and internet freedom activist Liu Dongling, most recently known for her work with the Ban the Great Firewall (BanGFW) movement, is at risk of deportation back to China after the Danish government rejected her asylum petition. If returned to China, Liu would very likely face prison time for her activism.
Liu Xiaobo Bust to be Dedicated at the University of Galway: HRIC is pleased to announce the permanent installation of a bust of Nobel Peace Prize Winner Liu Xiaobo at the Irish Centre for Human Rights (ICHR) at the University of Galway. ICHR Director Siobhán Mullally: “It is fitting that we honour him here today, where students, alumni and staff, commit daily to the pursuit of a more just world.”
Ex-aide to New York governors charged with being agent of Chinese government: Linda Sun, the Deputy Chief of Staff to New York governor Kathy Hochul, has been arrested along with her husband for acting as a foreign agent on behalf of the Chinese government. She allegedly “blocked representatives of the Taiwanese government from having access to the governor’s office, shaped New York governmental messaging to align with the priorities of the Chinese government and attempted to facilitate a trip to China for a high-level politician in New York.”
Related: Clues show Huang Ping was Chinese diplomat directing New York official.
Related: US denies Chinese diplomat expelled amid New York spying dispute.
Chinese migrants flock to Mexico in search of jobs, a future and, for some, a taste of freedom: A recent wave of Chinese migrants has chosen Mexico as their new home, drawn by a thriving Chinese diaspora and the promise of freedom of expression.
Documentary filmmaker re-lives the 2019 Hong Kong protests: “Alan,” creator of the documentary “Rather Be Ashes Than Dust” which documents the 2019 protests in Hong Kong, discussed his experience making the film and the emotional toll it took to complete it. “Rather Be Ashes Than Dust” is scheduled to screen in Toronto on September 28 and 29.
Human Rights Defenders & Civil Society 人权捍卫者与公民社会
發布《中國青年行動者年度報告2023》Release of "China Youth Activists Annual Report 2023": This report covers four main topics—young feminist activists, young mental health activists, growing and maintaining momentum after the White Paper Movement, and the community network of young activists itself. The report is an in-depth analysis of the situation of young activists in China today, from their own perspectives.
Chinese police raid Early Rain church, detaining 4 leaders: A meeting of around 50 worshippers at the Early Rain Covenant Church, a Protestant church in Chengdu that has previously come under fire from the authorities, was raided by police on Sunday. The police detained pastors Wu Wuqing and Li Youhong, deacon Zeng Qingtao, and church elder Li Yingqiang before shutting off power to the building.
China sentences Taiwanese politician Yang Chih-yuan to 9 years jail for ‘separatism’: Yang Chih-yuan, the leader of a minor political party who had once run unsuccessfully for the Taiwanese parliament and was arrested in mainland China in 2022, has now been sentenced to nine years in prison on “secession charges.”
5 teenage Tibetan monks attempt to take own lives: According to a video obtained by Radio Free Asia, five young Tibetan monks who were forced to attend a Chinese government-run boarding school attempted to jump into a river rather than live under the “prison-like” conditions in the school, which they described to concerned local Tibetans.
Unprotected yet Unyielding: The Decade-Long Protest of China’s Healthcare Workers (2013-2023): China Labour Bulletin’s new report documents the working conditions of nurses in doctors in China’s hospitals over the past ten years, and shows how their labor rights are insufficiently protected by the government-supported All-China Federation of Trade Unions.
German Tibet activist denied Hong Kong entry: German journalist David Missal, who studied at the University of Hong Kong and works with the activist group Tibet Initiative Deutschland, says he was denied entry to Hong Kong and questioned for thirteen hours at the border.
Hong Kong activist Koo Sze-yiu completes prison term over plan to protest opposition-free local election: The veteran activist was released after serving nine months for planning to protest the “patriots only” district council election in December 2023.
Hong Kong prisoners’ rights group suspends sales of mooncakes after frequent gov’t inspections: Prisoner’s rights group Waiting Bird has been forced to cease its yearly mooncake sales after its warehouse and factory partners received visits from the authorities and, reportedly, threatening phone calls.
Hong Kong launches song to promote patriotic education, with karaoke version for primary and secondary students: The song is part of the Hong Kong government’s ongoing push to promote Chinese patriotism among the city’s population, particularly children.
Newspaper Epoch Times to stop printing, distributing Hong Kong edition after 23 years in city: The Epoch Times, linked to the spiritual group Falun Gong, has announced that they will no longer publish in Hong Kong.
China’s Reach & Internal Control 中国: 内控与外扩
Media Friendship, From Beijing to Jakarta: A forum for Chinese and Indonesian media representatives in Beijing emphasized that “the role of journalism is to promote good feeling and a smooth bilateral relationship.”
New Hong Kong immigration system barring ‘undesirables’ from boarding flights to city comes into effect: The Advance Passenger Information system is intended to prevent “undesirables,” including potential asylees, from boarding flights to Hong Kong.
International Responses 国际反应
Updated Hong Kong Business Advisory: The US government has released an updated report warning American businesses away from Hong Kong under the current government.
Georgia Tech to end China partnerships following concerns over military ties: US university Georgia Tech has announced that it is ending its partnerships with Chinese universities in Tianjin and Shenzhen over Congressional concerns regarding those institutions.