HRIC Weekly Brief
January 27, 2026
Top News 头条
In Hong Kong, the high-profile national security trial of Chow Hang-tung, Lee Cheuk-yan and Albert Ho for “inciting subversion” began last week. The three are members of the Hong Kong Alliance, a group which was responsible for organizing annual vigils to commemorate the 1989 June Fourth massacre, drawing crowds of thousands in support, until the vigils were banned in 2020. Chow and Lee, as well as the Alliance itself, pleaded not guilty, while Ho pleaded guilty. During the initial hearing, prosecutors stated that there is “no lawful means to end the Chinese Communist Party’s leadership,” while Chow argued that wanting democracy is not the same as seeking to overthrow the Communist Party. The trial was met with global condemnation as a method of punishing those who remember and openly commemorate the Tiananmen Massacre.
On January 24, the Chinese authorities confirmed that Central Military Commission (CMC) vice-chair Zhang Youxia (张又侠), the PLA’s first-ranked uniformed officer beneath Xi Jinping, and CMC Joint Staff Department chief Liu Zhenli (刘振立) are under investigation for “suspected serious violations of discipline and law” (涉嫌严重违纪违法). Such investigations have long served as a tool for Xi to remove potential political rivals and those with suspect loyalty; Zhang’s removal only proves the point that no one is immune. A wave of discussion around Zhang on overseas social media in recent months, alleging that Zhang was liable to usurp power from Xi, could have played a role in his removal. HRIC Executive Director Zhou Fengsuo commented that in the context of the CCP’s political system which “has no mechanism for power succession,” in the face of rumors “the truth about Zhang Youxia becomes irrelevant.”
What is clear is that political purges should be considered a standard feature of Xi’s governance. Zhang’s removal, alongside Liu’s, follows years of systematic purges spanning the Rocket Force, equipment procurement, theater commands, and the CMC itself, leaving China’s top military leadership unusually thinned. While Zhang’s removal may cause internal turmoil with the loss of experienced leadership, Xi’s ongoing targeting of the CMC indicates a desire to consolidate power and potentially replace the old guard with younger, more loyal subordinates, particularly “wolf warrior” types who may be eager for glory in Taiwan.
Law & Policy 法律与政策
China’s Draft Childcare Services Law Criticized for Weak Social Oversight: New suggested amendments to China’s Draft Childcare Services Law from a Chinese lawyer call for stronger mechanisms of social oversight and family participation in childcare governance, to address structural shortcomings and better protect children.
Suitable for All Ages? [Part 2]: New Measures further define the scope of online content that “might impact minors’ physical or psychological health,” a category which platforms, users, and parents are legally obligated to keep away from minors. The category includes content which could “intentionally induce excessive or lasting hate, fear, depression or other extreme feelings,” as well as “use of online language tricks to avoid detection of negative content.”
Cyber Security & Digital Rights 网络安全与数字权利
China hacked Downing Street phones for years: The Telegraph reports that a Chinese hacking operation, “Salt Typhoon,” accessed the phones of multiple senior cabinet members over a period of multiple years. The news comes as PM Keir Starmer arrives in Beijing for the first visit by a UK Prime Minister in eight years.
Netizen Voices: Latest Birthrate Stats Suggest That “When More Grown-ups Weep, Fewer Babies Wail”: China Digital Times compiled reactions from internet users over last week’s low birthrate news, including comments on content censorship on platforms such as Weibo and overall socioeconomic discontent.
Who controls TikTok’s US platform under new deal?: ByteDance retains a 19.9% stake, three investor firms (Oracle, Silver Lake, and UAE-based MGX) each hold 15%, and another eight investors hold smaller percentages.
Diaspora Community & Transnational Repression 海外社群和跨国镇压
Kazakhstan Prosecutes 19 Activists After Chinese Diplomatic Pressure Over East Turkistan Protest: “Following a November 13 protest near the Chinese border, the Chinese Consulate General in Almaty sent a diplomatic note to Kazakh authorities describing the demonstration as ‘an open provocation against the dignity of the People’s Republic of China’ and requesting a ‘serious investigation.’ Kazakh prosecutors cited this note as key justification for criminal charges.”
Related: Rights group presses Kazakhstan authorities to release activists ahead of trial.
Human Rights Defenders & Civil Society 人权捍卫者与公民社会
Senior Tibetan Buddhist leader’s whereabouts unknown after detention: Lobsang Lungrik, head of Ba Gön Monastery, was reportedly detained in December 2024 and has not been heard from since.
Pro-democracy activist Lester Shum, one of the ‘Hong Kong 47,’ released from jail – reports: Shum was released on Monday after completing a 4.5 year sentence for “conspiracy to subvert state power.”
Ex-Hong Kong lawmaker Eddie Chu recounts prison life in first post-release public comment: Chu, released after four years and five months in prison, expressed his thanks to those who had supported him while in prison.
Nat. security case against political commentator to move to higher court, raising max. penalty to 7 years’ jail: Political commentator Wong Kwok-ngon, AKA Wong On-yin, is accused of publicly divulging details of a national security investigation.
Hong Kong courts still handling around 70 cases linked to 2019 protests: More than six years after the 2019 protests, Hong Kong courts say that 70 cases are still underway, as well as 30 national security-related cases.
Hong Kong apex court grants solicitor final appeal over jailed activist’s prison complaint: Solicitor Phyllis Woo is challenging her conviction for removing a complaint form from the Lai Chi Kok detention center on behalf of imprisoned activist Owen Chow, without authorization from the Correctional Services Department.
China’s Reach & Internal Control 中国: 内控与外扩
2025 journalist jailings remain stubbornly high; harsh prison conditions pervasive: The world’s top jailer of journalists for a third year in a row, “China held at least 50 journalists in prison as of December 1, including seven in Hong Kong. Data indicates a trend of using anti-state charges to target journalists, with at least 34 behind bars for vague and overly broad crimes such as ‘subversion of state power’ and ‘inciting subversion.’”
UN experts alarmed by reports of forced labour of Uyghur, Tibetan and other minorities across China: Five United Nations human rights experts have denounced the persistent use of forced labor involving marginalized ethnic groups in China, stating: “In many cases, the coercive elements are so severe that they may amount to forcible transfer and/or enslavement as a crime against humanity.”
Rectifying Names, Erasing Mongols: The Unmaking of Mongolian Education in China: In pursuit of “national unity,” the CCP has gradually replaced Mongolian-medium schooling with instruction centered around Mandarin. Yet, this systematic erosion undermines the once-promised “autonomy and sovereignty” for Mongols, resulting in a “slow violence” that is argued to be part of “Xi Jinping’s ‘new era’ of Chinese colonialism.”
Over 10,000 Tibetan students enrolled in China’s ‘Tibet Classes’ amid accelerated sinicisation drive: In the highest annual spike since the program’s creation in 1984, a new report found that more than 10,000 Tibetan students are now taking “Tibet Classes” in China. Positioned by the CCP as a method of increasing employment prospects, these classes have been criticized by Tibetan groups and rights advocates as “a tool for political indoctrination and cultural assimilation.”
China steps up pressure on European nations over engagement with Taiwan: While Beijing has traditionally forced trading partners to recognize its claim to Taiwan, several European nations have nevertheless remained supportive of Taiwan’s democratic values. After a speech delivered in Brussels by Taiwanese vice-president Hsiao Bi-khim, Chinese ambassadors have allegedly been ramping up the pressure, “calling [European] lawmakers for meetings and urging them not to host Taiwanese officials or speak to them during visits to the island.”
International Responses 国际反应
Hong Kong slams European Parliament’s calls for officials to be sanctioned over Jimmy Lai’s national security conviction: The European Parliament has adopted a resolution against certain Hong Kong officials in response to the prosecution of democracy activist Jimmy Lai. The Parliament further categorized Lai’s trial and detention as violating human rights, and condemned the government for manipulating state security laws in order to “eliminate independent media, free speech and the political opposition in Hong Kong.”
Related: Human rights violations in Honduras, the Central African Republic and Hong Kong.
EU plans phase out of high risk telecom suppliers, in proposals seen as targeting China: Current policy allows countries to exclude dealings with certain technology companies due to cybersecurity risks. New draft legislation would make this restriction mandatory across all 27 EU member states, phasing out “high risk suppliers,” which would likely include Chinese corporations such as Huawei and ZTE, from providing gear used for critical infrastructure.
The U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee passed a bill commemorating the 90th anniversary of the Dalai Lama’s birth: House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Master commended the Dalai Lama as a voice of resistance against forced assimilation in Tibet.
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