HRIC Weekly Brief
April 28, 2026
Top News 头条
Chinese student Cheng Fangwei from the University of Sydney in Australia has disappeared after returning to China at the end of 2024. Cheng had participated in pro-democracy protests in Sydney, including two solidarity protests for groups including Uyghurs and Tibetans. He was arrested by the Chinese Communist Party upon returning to China and was subsequently secretly sentenced to 6 years in prison for “inciting subversion of state power.” Cheng allegedly went on trial ahead of China’s introduction of the Ethnic Unity Law, which human rights advocates have argued worsens existing restrictions on minority groups’ use of their languages. Although the Australian government has previously issued guidelines on “foreign interference” in universities, neither Australian higher education institutions nor the education department currently has a framework specifically designed to address the political persecution faced by international students from their home countries for legally exercising freedom of speech in Australia. Universities often refuse to comment, citing “privacy.”
According to a report from ARTICLE 19, the UK’s Victoria and Albert Museum has repeatedly agreed to remove maps and images from exhibits due to “pressure from their Chinese publisher.” Instances of censorship such as removing maps and images from museum exhibitions following pressure from the CCP are “part of broader trends in information manipulation and interference.”
Law & Policy 法律与政策
NPCSC Session Watch: Prison Administration, Social Welfare, Defense Mobilization, State-Owned Enterprise Assets, Water Resources & Agriculture: China’s NPC Standing Committee will meet from April 27 to 30 to review eight bills across topics such as prisons, social assistance, healthcare security, cultivated land protection and quality improvement, state-owned assets of enterprises, agriculture, national defense mobilization, and water. Of these draft laws, four are returning for further review and four are newly introduced.
UN experts question legality of China’s ethnic unity law, concerned by its minority targeting: Eight human rights experts have put forward a statement criticizing China’s newly adopted Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress, arguing that it may violate international law. In particular, its vague language and provisions on education and public order could infringe on the freedom of expression, assembly and association, culture, and religion of many ethnic groups such as Tibetans, Uyghurs, and Mongols.
Hong Kong to launch public consultation on first 5-year plan this quarter: Chief Executive John Lee has moved up Hong Kong’s public consultations on its 15th five-year plan, announcing that they will take place this quarter rather than in the fourth quarter of the year. The inaugural plan will be “closely related to livelihood issues” such as “economic development, property, housing, and education.”
Are Hong Kong’s new national security rules for restaurants clear enough?: Hong Kong’s new requirement that all government departments embrace national security regulations extends to the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, which has then used vague provisions to threaten to revoke restaurants’ licenses if they engage in conduct “contrary to national security and public interest.” This leaves restaurateurs uncertain and vulnerable to arbitrary enforcement.
Cyber Security & Digital Rights 网络安全与数字权利
HRIC on Twitter/X: Well-known VPN tool “Kuai Lian” officially announced cessation of operations in mainland China due to frequent, widespread disconnections. This indicates that the increasingly fortified Great Firewall (GFW) is no longer just suppressing the free flow of information, but is severing essential connections between ordinary Chinese people, tech practitioners, and the global digital economy and cutting-edge technology.
HRIC on Twitter/X: “Reports indicate that Wu Huaiyun was arrested again before the 2026 Spring Festival, due to her continued online outreach and interviews with overseas media. She is currently still detained by the local public security authorities in Huoshan.”
China blocks $2bn Meta takeover of AI agent developer Manus: Manus, which was founded in Beijing but is now based in Singapore, was blocked from making the deal by the Chinese government, which asserts that “domestic tech companies must seek explicit government approval for accepting US investment.”
Translation: “Scaling the Great Firewall”? You’ve Crossed the Line: China has framed VPN usage as dangerous while positioning the “Great Firewall” as a “protective measure,” warning of three “traps”—political, collusion, and illegality.
How a Chinese marketing network quietly injects political narratives into Taiwanese lifestyle content: The China-based company Wubianjie controls hundreds of Facebook pages masquerading as Taiwanese “lifestyle hubs.” After sharing innocuous content to gain a wide audience, it will periodically insert pro-Beijing political messaging, such as commentary on the US-Iran conflict aligned with Chinese narratives.
China stealing US AI technology, White House official says: The White House science and technology chief, Michael Kratsios, accused China of “running industrial-scale distillation campaigns” by using thousands of proxy accounts and jailbreaking tactics to extract capabilities from US AI models, with the Trump administration vowing countermeasures.
Chinese hackers using everyday devices to target UK firms, warns cybersecurity agency: Agencies from ten countries, including the U.K.’s National Cyber Security Center, warned that Beijing-backed hackers are hijacking everyday devices like wifi routers to build covert “botnets” for cyber espionage, a tactic now used by the majority of China-linked threat actors.
Private health records of half a million Britons offered for sale on Chinese website: Health data from 500,000 UK Biobank volunteers on genetic sequences, blood samples, and lifestyle information was listed for sale across three Alibaba listings connected to Chinese research institutions. While the data was “de-identified,” it can still pose privacy risks. Access was quickly revoked before any confirmed sales went through.
Related: Most serious cyberattacks against the UK now from Russia, Iran and China, cyber chief says.
Translations: As Evergrande’s Xu Jiayin Pleads Guilty, “Behind the Scenes Are Too Many Uncomfortable Truths That Can Never Be Fully Examined”: Online commentators have argued that a swift, low-profile trial and pre-arranged guilty plea suggest that China Evergrande Group founder, Xu Jiayin, struck a deal and took sole responsibility for a host of financial crimes, allowing many officials and insiders to escape accountability. Many of these accusatory posts on WeChat were later censored.
Netizen Voices on New Supply-Chain and Jurisdictional Regulations: “How Is This Not a Shakedown?”: Negative online reactions to Beijing’s new supply chain security regulations and anti-extraterritorial jurisdiction rules—which allow authorities to penalize foreign companies operating in China for mere “routine business decisions”—have been restricted on major platforms.
Outrage in China after streaming site iQIYI debuts AI actor ‘database’: A Chinese streaming platform akin to Netflix sparked public backlash after launching a database which enables AI filmmakers to use celebrity likenesses, with some actors publicly refusing to join and fans denouncing the move as a threat to human performers. This was further fuelled by the CEO’s suggestion that “fully human-made work could become intangible cultural heritage.”
China’s DeepSeek rolls out a long-anticipated update of its AI model: Chinese AI startup, DeepSeek, released previews of its new model, allowing users to compare it to US competitors. Notably, this version runs on Chinese-made Huawei chips rather than Nvidia hardware, reducing reliance on US technology amid ongoing export controls.
Diaspora Community & Transnational Repression 海外社群和跨国镇压
HRIC on Twitter/X: In an exclusive interview with Human Rights in China, Jan Wong shares her experiences as a Canadian journalist and academic, from serving as an eyewitness reporter on the Tiananmen Square Massacre, to publishing novels such as “Red China Blues” based on her life in China, to undergoing multiple instances of transnational repression in Canada.
Teacher Li on Twitter/X: On the eve of the 37th anniversary of June Fourth, Teacher Li collaborates with Human Rights in China and Humanitarian China to launch the #UnseenJuneFourth exhibition of historical photographs.
China’s transnational repression in Canada “not abstract concern”: CTC Director Sherap Therchin: Canada Tibet Committee’s, Sherap Therchin, testified before Canada’s parliament stating that Beijing’s transnational repression, including cyberattacks, sanctions, and harassment, is already active on Canadian soil. He called for firm guardrails in Canada-China relations, including “supply chain transparency, independent fact-finding access, and reciprocal travel rights.”
Surveillance Concerns Raised After Uyghur Flag-Bearing Youth Observed at Istanbul Half Marathon: Videos have been shared across social media depicting what appears to be Chinese nationals recording runners at the Istanbul Half Marathon. While not officially confirmed as surveillance, discussions have been “reignited” regarding the “safety and monitoring of Uyghurs and other East Turkistan diaspora communities living in Türkiye.”
HRIC on Twitter/X: On April 23, representatives from Human Rights in China attended the “2026 Roll Call of Nations” memorial event hosted by the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation (VOC) in Washington, D.C., joining diplomatic missions and human rights organizations from nearly 50 countries in laying wreaths at the Victims of Communism Memorial.
Freedom House: The CCP has once again become the world’s leading perpetrator of transnational repression. Freedom House recorded 126 new transnational repression incidents in 2025, with China ranking as the top perpetrator after occurrences such as Thailand forcibly returning 40 Uyghurs to Beijing.
Related: Collaboration and Resistance: Tracking Transnational Repression in 2025.
Human Rights Defenders & Civil Society 人权捍卫者与公民社会
HRIC on Twitter/X: Arslan Abdulla, former Dean of the School of Humanities at Xinjiang University and renowned Uyghur scholar, was prosecuted in January 2018 by judicial authorities in Urumqi, Xinjiang, on charges including suspected “two-faced person, bribery, or involvement in terrorism,” and was subsequently sentenced to 18 years in prison.
HRIC on Twitter/X: Cao Sanqiang, pastor of the “China Gospel Fellowship,” was unjustly sentenced to a heavy 7-year prison term by Chinese Communist authorities for “illegal border crossing.” After his release, he was diagnosed with late-stage prostate cancer and a spinal tumor, with cancer cells now having metastasized to his bone marrow.
HRIC on Twitter/X: Niu Tengyu was the server operations technician for Evil Wiki, site administrator of Evil Wiki, and a defendant in the Evil Wiki case. His mother, Wang Haiqin, and father were systematically targeted and suppressed by the authorities, including through financial means.
HRIC on Twitter/X: Yu Kai, director of Shandong Xiaolin Law Firm, returned home on April 26 after being detained for approximately 30 days after allegedly “disrupting public order.”.
China live-streams expose minors undergoing harsh training designed for ‘rebellious youth’: State media reports allege physical and sexual abuse disguised as “gratitude education” at quasi-military boarding schools in China. Such schools accept “rebellious” teenagers, like those addicted to gaming or suffering from depression, and charge up to 20,000 yuan a month. Evidence of harm, including a quote stating that instructors need to “work harder” on these “problematic kids,” are in stark contrast to promotional videos of these institutions where students are often seen smiling and appearing happy.
HRIC on Twitter/X: In late April 2026, a series of allegations emerge about women being subjected to “naked inspections” and humiliating law enforcement practices at police stations in Shenzhen, China, sparking intense public debate on the legality of enforcement procedures, the boundaries of body searches, and the protection of basic human dignity.
China: Tibetan religious leader disappeared: Choktrul Dorje Ten Rinpoche: Amnesty International calls on Chinese authorities to provide information surrounding the whereabouts and wellbeing of Tibetan religious and education leader, Choktrul Dorje Ten Rinpoche. The NGO further calls for the protection of his rights and his release pending evidence of a crime.
The Attention Economy of Suffering: When the World Looks Away from Uyghurs: Human Rights Watch researcher, Yalkun Uluyol, shares instances of his family members falling victim to mass incarceration in China “simply for being Uyghurs.” Along with mass surveillance and forced labor against this population, he states that, although there was once heavy international attention on these atrocities, the world has now “moved on.”
Tibetan writers Drubpa Kyab and Tsering Dolma in critical health amid medical neglect in Chinese custody: Drubpa Kyab and Tsering Dolma are reportedly suffering from ailments such as severe memory loss, partial blindness, and deteriorating heart and kidney conditions, and a broken hip after suffering neglect and mistreatment while in Chinese detention. Drubpa Kyab is serving 14 years for “inciting separatism,” while Tsering Dolma was arrested for participating in peaceful protests.
Hong Kong actor Gregory Wong applies to appeal 2019 LegCo storming riot conviction, sentence at top court: Wong, jailed for over six years for his role in the 2019 storming of the Legislative Council, has lodged a leave-to-appeal application at the Court of Final Appeal. His earlier appeal to the Court of Appeal was rejected in March 2026, and no hearing date has yet been set for the top court application.
Hong Kong gov’t applies to seize HK$127m of jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai’s assets: The Hong Kong government has applied to the High Court to confiscate over HK$127 million in assets belonging to Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai, following his 20-year sentence. The application targets 62 bank accounts and assets across 17 linked companies, with a hearing scheduled for July 8.
NGO Reporters Without Borders says French journalist denied entry to Hong Kong in Nov, slams ‘weaponising’ of visas: French journalist Antoine Vedeilhe, while filming a documentary for France Télévisions, was detained for three hours at an airport in Hong Kong in November 2025 and deported without explanation. RSF condemned the practice as the deliberate weaponising of visas against foreign media, noting he is at least the 13th journalist barred from the city since the National Security Law’s promulgation.
China’s Reach & Internal Control 中国: 内控与外扩
Labubu Dolls Contain Cotton Linked to Uyghur Forced Labor, New York Times Reports: Lab testing commissioned by the Campaign for Uyghurs and independently verified by the New York Times found that 16 of 20 Labubu dolls contained cotton traced to Xinjiang, raising potential violations of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. US lawmakers are calling for Pop Mart to prove its supply chain is free of forced labor, or face an import ban.
Taiwan leader postpones Eswatini trip after overflight permits revoked due to ‘intense pressure’ from China: Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te was forced to cancel his visit to Eswatini, Taiwan’s only African ally, after Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar abruptly revoked overflight permits under what Taipei described as Chinese economic coercion. It marked the first time a Taiwanese president has had an entire overseas trip cancelled due to airspace denial, which analysts called a new Chinese tactic for isolating Taiwan internationally.
Related: China ‘appreciates’ African countries revoking Taiwan president flight permits.
SIPRI: Record arms spending, again: “China remained the world’s second‑largest military spender and has increased its defense budget every year for the past 31 years — longer than any other country tracked by SIPRI.”
China seeks Southeast Asia gains as US influence falters: While visiting Cambodia, Thailand, and Myanmar, China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, positioning Beijing as a reliable partner as US influence in the region erodes. A 2026 ISEAS survey found that 52% of Southeast Asian respondents now prefer alignment with China over the US. This is the first time China has led, with Trump’s foreign policy and the Iran war’s energy shock cited as key drivers.
Beijing lashes out at EU after Chinese firms included in latest Russia sanctions: The EU’s latest sanctions package targeting Russia’s war economy listed a number of Chinese and Hong Kong entities accused of supplying dual-use goods to Russia’s military. In return, Beijing warned that it “will take necessary measures to resolutely safeguard their interests.
International Responses 国际反应
Britain ‘must not cut ourselves off’ from China trade opportunities despite security risks, CBI chief warns: Rain Newton-Smith of the Confederation for British Industry told the UK Parliament that Britain’s growth strategy must include China. Her remarks came despite Prime Minister, Keir Starmer’s, acknowledgement of China’s security threats to the country. , reflecting the tension between economic opportunity and national security concerns.
Senior US diplomat urges stronger support for Tibetan refugee during Nepal visit: During a meeting with Nepal’s foreign minister, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Samir Paul Kapur, urged Kathmandu to strengthen support for the estimated 10,000 Tibetan refugees in the country. He specifically requested issuing identity documents and enabling economic participation, challenging directives by China’s ambassador to Nepal just a few days prior, which pressed Nepali officials to tighten restrictions on Tibetan and Taiwanese activities.
Central Asian gas giant Turkmenistan deepens reliance on China: China’s state-owned petroleum corporation is leading a major expansion of the world’s second-largest gas field in Turkmenistan, further cementing Beijing’s dominance over the country’s gas exports. Despite Ashgabat’s stated desire to diversify toward Europe and South Asia, Chinese investment is pulling Turkmenistan deeper into a single-buyer dependency.