HRIC Weekly Brief
April 1, 2025
Top News 头条
Last week, Mary Lawlor, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, and other UN experts issued a joint communication asking the Chinese government for information about the He Fangmei case. He, a prolific advocate for health rights, has been arbitrarily detained and unfairly sentenced while her young children, one of whom has a disability, have disappeared. The Chinese government’s response failed to address the concerns laid out in the communication, particularly with regards to due process violations and the location of He’s two young daughters.
Meanwhile, recent funding cuts to U.S.-based media such as Radio Free Asia have been met with concern not only for the fate of the journalists who worked there, but also for the broader loss of media in the Chinese, Tibetan, and Uyghur languages, which are critical to freedom of information efforts, especially among groups targeted by the CCP. The gutting of Radio Free Asia and Voice of America has sparked widespread concern among Tibetans living in Tibet, who fear they will no longer have access to uncensored news in their own language. Whynot, a unique, alternative Chinese-language platform dedicated to telling human interest stories and covering topics that appeal to China’s younger population, is another example of a RFA subsidiary that went dark as a result of the cuts.
Law & Policy 法律与政策
NPC Calendar: April 2025: In late April, the 14th NPC Standing Committee will convene for its 15th session. The Council of Chairpersons is expected to meet in mid-April to decide the final agenda and dates of the session.
This Week in Asian Law: March 23-29: The Cyberspace Administration of China has published a second draft of proposed amendments to the Cybersecurity Law, which would increase punishments for violators. The draft is open for public comment until April 27, 2025.
China Further Formalizes Its Anti-Foreign Sanctions Legal Arsenal: the Regulations on Implementation of the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law: The State Council has promulgated new regulations implementing its Foreign Relations Law and Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law, which target individuals and organizations outside China whom China alleges to be responsible for the imposition of sanctions by foreign countries against China.
Cyber Security & Digital Rights 网络安全与数字权利
_China_Chatbot_17: Amongst other issues, DeepSeek is being presented by certain Chinese state-run media outlets and political leaders, including during key Two Sessions political meetings, as a legitimate source for insight on social issues.
Database Points to China’s Growing Use of A.I. for Online Surveillance and Censorship: Growing evidence shows that human-powered censorship is being increasingly enhanced or potentially replaced by AI, as the Chinese government and tech giants are using large language models (LLMs) to boost their online surveillance and censorship capacity.
China’s DeepSeek Unveils Latest Update in Race With OpenAI: DeepSeek’s V3-0324 update claims to address real-world challenges while setting benchmarks for accuracy and efficiency.
Diaspora Community & Transnational Repression 海外社群和跨国镇压
Hong Kong Watch condemns Canadian politician Paul Chiang for dangerous bounty call: Chiang had suggested that Joe Tay, a Canadian citizen and prominent pro-democracy broadcaster for "Hong Kong Station," should be handed over to the Chinese Consulate in Toronto to claim a HK$1 Million reward issued by the Hong Kong police.
When Beijing's Bullies Come to Town: In a recent OpEd, Bob Fu of ChinaAid describes his experience with transnational repression in the United States, particularly attacks on protestors from individuals sponsored by the Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles in 2023.
Hong Kong painter draws inspiration from city’s recent history in works at Art Basel: Chow Chun-fai’s works at Art Basel revisit Hong Kongers’ collective memories of the late 1990s and early 2000s, a time many were proud of the Chinese financial hub’s vibrancy and openness.
They will not forget Tibet: SF protesters call attention to alleged human rights violations: To commemorate the 66th Tibetan Uprising Day on March, protesters marched from San Francisco City Hall to the Chinese consulate office, holding off the traffic and drawing attention from passersby with their slogans.
Human Rights Defenders & Civil Society 人权捍卫者与公民社会
HRIC on Twitter/X: Human rights defender Shi Tingfu has been restricted from eating during detention and is currently very thin and in a very bad mental state. He has been in prison for nearly half a year for “provoking trouble” because of his advocacy for Xinjiang fruit farmers.
Chinese Indie Filmmaker Hit With Harsh “Cross-Provincial” Fine and Equipment Confiscation: Yunnan-based artist and independent filmmaker Guo Zhenming has been fined 75,000 yuan (US$10,300) for “illegal filmmaking” activities, for footage Guo shot in Xinjiang, and his 2023 documentary “Tedious Days and Nights” which was shot in Hunan province and screened at last year’s Berlin Film Festival without official permission from China’s film censors.
富察案從抓捕到判決 國台辦為何總不願說清楚？[Why is the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council reluctant to explain the situation from the arrest to the verdict in the Fu Cha case?]: It has finally been revealed that Taiwanese publisher Li Yanhe (pen name Fu Cha), was sentenced by the CCP to three years in prison, deprived of political rights in China for one year, and confiscated 50,000 yuan for "inciting secession.” Zhou Fengsuo, executive director of HRIC, pointed out that this is a political persecution that lacks legitimacy. It is not only a suppression of individuals, but also a systematic deterrence against Taiwan's intellectual community.
Anti-torture group urges China to release citizen journalist Zhang Zhan: The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders called on the Chinese authorities to release citizen journalist Zhang Zhan, who has been arbitrarily detained and ill-treated.
Stepping Into Emptiness: Two Hong Kong journalists now living abroad describe bearing witness to what seemed like an era of promise in Hong Kong, which turned dark as they experienced immense loss after the events of 2019.
2019 Yuen Long attack: Ex-Hong Kong bank exec. files appeal against rioting conviction, jail term: Former Hong Kong bank executive Jason Chan has launched an appeal against his guilty conviction and 31-month jail sentence for “rioting” during the Yuen Long mob attack in 2019.
Hong Kong security chief slams Ming Pao for defending reporter who asked why official’s trip was not announced: Over the past two years, the Hong Kong government has lashed out at Ming Pao over news reports, opinion pieces, and satirical cartoons.
Hong Kong’s Democratic Party to hold members’ vote on disbandment next month: Citing the “overall political environment,” Hong Kong’s biggest pro-democracy party announced in February that it was inclined to dissolve.
China’s Reach & Internal Control 中国: 内控与外扩
Pen Names, Stern Warnings: A practice of using “homophonous pen names” is an internal coding system within China’s official state media, often used as signals indicating the institutional weight behind particular messages.
Secretive Chinese network tried to lure fired federal workers, research shows: A network of companies operated by a secretive Chinese tech firm has been trying to recruit recently laid-off U.S. government workers, seeking to exploit their financial vulnerabilities.
During Ramadan, China’s ‘Muslim Diplomacy’ Unfolds in Indonesia: As in previous years, during this year’s Ramadan, China actively engaged with Indonesia’s largest Muslim organizations as part of its bid to strengthen its ties with the world’s largest Muslim-majority country and disincentivize investigation into its treatment of Uyghurs and other predominantly-Muslim minority groups.
Head of Hong Kong corruption watchdog warns public not to incite blank votes in upcoming legislative elections: In 2021, the city criminalized inciting blank or invalid ballots and encouraging others not to vote. Offenders face up to three years’ imprisonment and a fine of HK$200,000.
International Responses 国际反应
United States sanctions Chinese, Hong Kong officials over national security law that targeted pro-democracy activists: The United States has sanctioned six senior Chinese and Hong Kong officials, including Police Commissioner Raymond Siu and Secretary of Justice Paul Lam, for "transnational repression" and actions it said eroded the autonomy of Hong Kong.
Wong calls ‘reprehensible’ letter targeting Hong Kong activist in Australia a ‘threat to national sovereignty’: Ted Hui had received another anonymous letter offering reward for information about his family, after China accused Australia of interfering with its internal affairs.
US bill proposes expediting Uyghur asylum cases: The Uyghur Human Rights Protection Act would give a higher priority designation for refugees of special humanitarian concern and the bill also seeks to protect Uyghurs who have fled to countries besides the United States by directing the U.S. Secretary of State to prioritize diplomatic efforts in those countries.
UK report warns focus on national security ‘undermining’ Hong Kong’s reputation as city slams ‘hypocrisy’: UK foreign secretary David Lammy said that the information set out in the latest report “underscores a continued drift away from the commitments” outlined in a treaty agreed between the UK and China in 1984.