The HRIC Daily Brief is a daily selection of news stories and commentary related to human rights in China, drawn from Chinese- and English-language news and online media sources that we monitor daily. In addition to headlines and source links, HRIC also provides English translation of Chinese headlines.

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Children (儿童)

Amid Chinese New Year frenzy, city offers to “mail” children home
Wall Street Journal, January 23, 2014
blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2014/01/23/amid-chinese-new-year-frenzy-city-offers-to-mail-children-home/?mod=WSJBlog

Corruption (腐败)

Report details overseas accounts of Chinese elite
泄密文件揭示中国权贵的海外财富
The New York Times, January 23, 2014
cn.nytimes.com/china/20140123/c23accounts/dual/

Environment (环境)

Beijing announces strict new curbs on heavy industry to combat smog
South China Morning Post, January 23, 2014
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1411326/beijing-announces-strict-new-curbs-heavy-industry-combat-smog?utm_source=The+Sinocism+China+Newsletter&utm_campaign=1cafe5cf92-Sinocism1.24.14&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_171f237867-1cafe5cf92-29608041

Human Rights Defenders (人权卫士)

China puts anti-corruption activist Xu Zhiyong on trial, bars diplomats from attending
Washington Post, January 23, 2014
www.washingtonpost.com/world/trial-for-chinese-anti-corruption-activist-xu-zhiyong-draws-crowd-of-wary-supporters/2014/01/22/10cd62bc-834f-11e3-8099-9181471f7aaf_story.html?tid=hpModule_949fa2be-8691-11e2-9d71-f0feafdd1394

BBC reporter 'harassed' at Chinese activist trial
British Broadcasting Corporation, January 22, 2014
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-25838209

Chinese activist Xu Zhiyong makes silent protest at trial
Sydney Morning Herald, January 22, 2014
www.smh.com.au/world/chinese-activist-xu-zhiyong-makes-silent-protest-at-trial-20140122-hv9hp.html

Xu Zhiyong trial: reaction of Chinese officials has unexpected impact
Guardian, January 22, 2014
www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/22/xu-zhiyong-trial-china-official-reaction-new-citizens-movement

Prominent Chinese activist on trial, refuses to defend himself
Reuters, January 22, 2014
www.reuters.com/article/2014/01/22/us-china-activist-idUSBREA0L0A920140122

For more information on Xu Zhiyong, see:
Xu Zhiyong trial ends without verdict, foreign journalists attacked
Human Rights in China, January 22, 2014
www.hrichina.org/en/press-work/case-update/xu-zhiyong-trial-ends-without-verdict-foreign-journalists-attacked

Information Control (信息控制)

Newspaper websites blocked in China after reports about Chinese leaders' wealth
Huffington Post, January 22, 2014
www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/22/newspaper-blocked-china-guardian-reports-leaked-documents-president-offshore-holdings_n_4645759.html

余杰:呼吁“中国教父”习近平释放姚文田 (Writer Yu Jie calls on Xi Jinping to release HK publisher)
Deutsche Welle, January 22, 2014
dw.de/p/1AvQg

International Relations (国际关系)

May a thousand spies bloom
News Week, January 16, 2014
http://mag.newsweek.com/2014/01/17/china-spies-fbi-cia.html

Political and Economic Reform (政治经济改革)

全面深化改革的必然要求 (The necessity to comprehensively deepen reform)
The Telegraph, January 22, 2014
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/10589360/Chinese-fugitive-judge-flees-Communist-Party-interrogation-centre.html

Rule of Law (法治)

Chinese fugitive judge “flees Communist Party interrogation centre”
The Telegraph, January 22, 2014
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/10589360/Chinese-fugitive-judge-flees-Communist-Party-interrogation-centre.html

Social Security (社会安全)

城乡人均养老金水平相差24倍 成城镇化阻碍 (Pensions 24 times higher in urban than rural areas)
Xinhua, January 23, 2014
news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2014-01/23/c_126046398.htm

Technology (科技)

中国证实互联网故障源于根服务器遭攻击 (China blames attack on root name server for Internet outage)
Caijing, January 23, 2014
tech.caijing.com.cn/2014-01-23/113851661.html

Related:
How the Chinese Internet ended up in Cheyenne, Wyoming
Washington Post, January 22, 2014
www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/01/22/that-time-the-chinese-internet-found-itself-at-a-tiny-house-in-cheyenne-wyoming/

XUAR (新疆维吾尔自治区)

China urges respect for ethnic traditions in restive Xinjiang
Reuters, January 22, 2014
www.reuters.com/article/2014/01/22/us-china-xinjiang-idUSBREA0L0FC20140122

Opinion (观点)

依法审理许志永案,反对立场先行

Law is no threat to citizen movement
OGlobal Times, January 23, 2014
CN: opinion.huanqiu.com/editorial/2014-01/4781693.html
EN: www.globaltimes.cn/content/838923.shtml#.UuBykmSwrLY

China's elite: don't shoot the messenger
Guardian, January 22, 2014
www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jan/22/chinas-elite-dont-shoot-the-messenger