Fears Grow For Chinese Election Hopeful, Missing, Believed Detained

an-elderly-woman-casts-her-vote-in-a-local-election-in-chinaWould-be independent candidates in forthcoming elections to district-level legislative bodies around China have expressed concern over the safety of constitutional scholar and former People’s Congress deputy Yao Lifa, who has been incommunicado since last week. Continue reading

China Approves Law to Tighten Control on Internet Use

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A woman uses her smartphone near a booth promoting cloud services during the Global Mobile Internet Conference in Beijing, China.

China’s legislature approved a cybersecurity law on Monday that human rights activists warn will tighten political controls and foreign companies say might hamper access to Chinese technology markets. Continue reading

2016 RSF-TV5 Monde Press Freedom Prize: Prize awarded to Syrian and Chinese journalists, website

2016-rsfThe 2016 Reporters Without Borders (RSF) – TV5 Monde Press Freedom Prize will be awarded to Syrian reporter Hadi Abdullah, the Chinese news website 64Tianwang, and Chinese citizen journalists Lu Yuyu and Li Tingyu at a ceremony in Strasbourg tomorrow evening (8 November). Continue reading

PEN International Letter to ICPC President Tienchi Martin-Liao

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Blogger and Activist Liu Yanli Charged with Defamation in China

November 4, 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

NEW YORK – PEN America is disturbed that after more than a month in detention, blogger Liu Yanli, a member of the Independent Chinese PEN Center, has been formally charged with defamation for a few short social media messages posted to a closed group of online friends.

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China Detains Jilin Activist For Wearing Anti-Xi Jinping T-Shirt

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Kwon Pyong is shown wearing T-shirt criticizing Chinese president Xi Jinping, Sept. 30, 2016. Photo courtesy of Kwon Pyong’s Twitter account

Chinese authorities have secretly detained a graduate of a U.S. university who supported human rights and pro-democracy campaigns after he told friends he would wear a T-shirt merging the name of President Xi Jinping with Hitler’s. Continue reading

Ray Hecht: Party Members: a gruesome China book review

party-membersParty Members by Arthur Meursault is an intense, ugly, gruesome work of fiction that will leave most feeling nauseous. It’s also a page-turner that is kind of essential reading for China observers. Reader discretion is advised, be aware that this one may offend many if not all… Continue reading

Rights Groups Call For Release of Chinese Citizen Journalist Detained at G20

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Citizen journalist Yuan Ying, one of the Tianwang contributors already released, is shown in an undated photo. RFA

Chinese police are still holding a citizen journalist detained during the G20 summit in Hangzhou last month, prompting calls for her release from an international rights group concerned that she may be at risk of torture. Continue reading