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.

Wednesday, April 02, 2014

Consumer Product Safety (消费品安全)

270,000 complaints on food, pharmaceuticals in 2013
ShanghaiDaily.com, March 31, 2014
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/article_xinhua.aspx?id=209716

Corruption (腐败)

As trial of billionaire Liu Han opens, Chinese President Xi Jinping may go for even bigger target
International Business Times, April 1, 2014
www.ibtimes.com/trial-billionaire-liu-han-opens-chinese-president-xi-jinping-may-go-even-bigger-target-1565802

Human Rights Defenders (人权卫士)

中国妇权义工苏昌兰被带走 佛山维权人士天理被刑拘近一月 (Women's rights activist Su Changlan summoned by police, fellow Foshan activist Tian Li in detention for almost a month)
Radio Free Asia, April 1, 2014
www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/ql2-04012014094448.html

维族学者伊力哈木获奖 中国官方指其为“嫌犯” (Ilham Tohti wins PEN USA award, China calls him a “suspect”)
Radio Free Asia, April 1, 2014
www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/kejiaowen/jz-04012014103444.html

香港刘霞关注组举行刘霞庆生会 (HK groups hold birthday party for Liu Xia)
Voice of America, April 1, 2014
www.voachinese.com/content/hk-liuxia-20140401/1884003.html

Information Control (信息控制)

How China is trying to get its citizens to censor themselves
Quartz, April 1, 2014
qz.com/194100/how-china-is-trying-to-get-its-citizens-to-censor-themselves

International Relations (Security, Trade and Investment), 国际关系(安全,贸易和投资)

In Brussels, China learns “eurospeak” to seek influence
Reuters, April 1, 2014
uk.reuters.com/article/2014/04/01/uk-eu-china-idUKBREA300A020140401

Related:
中国:学习欧盟语言 寻求扩大影响
Deutsche Welle, April 2, 2014
http://dw.de/p/1BZYb

A Merkel, a map, a message to China?
Tea Leaf Nation, April 2, 2014
http://www.tealeafnation.com/2014/04/a-merkel-a-map-a-message-to-china/

Migrants (农民工)

让市场力量决定城镇化进程 (Let market forces decide how fast urbanization should proceed)
Financial Times, April 2, 2014
www.ftchinese.com/story/001055572?full=y

Open Government Information (信息公开)

政府公开信息要避“官谣” 地方部门建权力清单 (State Council issues new guidelines on Open Government Information disclosure, asks local authorities to establish inventory of administrative powers)
Jinghua Times, April 2, 2014
www.chinanews.com/gn/2014/04-02/6019760.shtml

Related:
2014年政府信息公开工作要点 (Key points in Open Government Information work in 2014)
State Council General Office, March 17, 2014
www.gov.cn/zhengce/content/2014-04/01/content_8728.htm

Political and Economic Reform (政治经济改革)

Xi's “socialism only way” remarks get mixed reaction at home
South China Morning Post, April 2, 2014
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1463096/xis-socialism-only-way-remarks-get-mixed-reaction-home

Protests and Petitions (抗议和请愿)

Years after revolt, Chinese village glumly returns to polls
村民再投票,但选举并未改变乌坎
The New York Times, April 2, 2014
cn.nytimes.com/china/20140402/c02wukan/dual/

茂名PX抗议活动扩展至广州
China PX plant protests spread to provincial capital Guangzhou
Financial Times, April 2, 2014
EN:http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/cf6594fa-b98d-11e3-957a-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2xeLIGSHF
CH:www.ftchinese.com/story/001055576

Related:
今日香港《东方日报》头版:茂名己15死300伤,锁城断网镇压继续!今日文明世界,还有这等政府围城屠戮百姓惨剧?(15 killed and 300 injured in Maoming protests, city on lock down, internet cut)
Oriental Daily, April 2, 2014
http://www.letscorp.net/archives/68674

人权观察呼吁中国调查茂名警察暴力(Human Rights Watch calls on China to investigate police violence in Maoming)
Voice of America, April 1, 2014
www.voachinese.com/content/china-police-violence-eco-protests-px-20140401/1884298.html

China: investigate police violence at eco-protests
Human Rights Watch, April 1, 2014
www.hrw.org/news/2014/04/01/china-investigate-police-violence-eco-protests

Religion (宗教)

China's underground resistance
Reuters, April 1, 2014
uk.reuters.com/article/2014/04/01/uk-china-catholics-underground-idUKBREA3000T20140401

Society (社会)

Chinese society: freedom with an asterisk
The Economist, April 1, 2014
www.economist.com/blogs/analects/2014/04/chinese-society