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.

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Civil Society (民间社会)

What is Beijing up to? Summer of increased harassment, surveillance leaves Chinese NGOs on edge
South China Morning Post, August 19, 2014
www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1576613/what-beijing-summer-increased-harassment-surveillance-leaves

Consumer Product Safety (消费品安全)

Heinz recalls four batches of infant food in China
Reuters, August 18, 2014
www.reuters.com/article/2014/08/18/us-china-heinz-recall-idUSKBN0GI19H20140818

Corruption (腐败)

Budget transparency is the key to tackling corruption
News China, September 2014
http://www.newschinamag.com/magazine/budget-transparency-is-the-key-to-tackling-corruption#id:1835#date:18:50

Cyber security (网络安全)

Chinese hackers stole information on 4.5 Million U.S. hospital patients
Business Insider, August 19, 2014
www.yahoo.com/tech/chinese-hackers-stole-information-on-4-5-million-u-s-95112821024.html

Freedom of Expression and Privacy (言论自由和隐私)

House News closed last month, but other independent sites still exist
South China Morning Post, August 18, 2014
http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/technology/article/1576116/house-news-closed-last-month-other-independent-sites-still

Hong Kong (香港)

中国人大常委会下周审议香港政改报告 (China National People's Congress Standing Committee to consider report on Hong Kong electoral reform next week)
British Broadcasting Corporation, August 18, 2014
www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp/china/2014/08/140818_hk_election_beijing.shtml

HK rally draws fake crowd allegations
Financial Times, August 18, 2014
www.ft.com/cms/s/0/09a2679c-2685-11e4-8bb5-00144feabdc0.html

Related:
Pro-China demonstration in Hong Kong Poles apart
The Economist, August 18, 2014
www.economist.com/blogs/analects/2014/08/pro-china-demonstration-hong-kong

Majority in poll opposes Beijing screening candidates for top job
South China Morning Post, August 19, 2014
www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1576341/majority-poll-opposes-beijing-screening-candidates-top-job

See poll:
香港2020公佈政制改革民意調查結果 (Hong Kong 2020 publishes results of public opinion poll on political reforms)
Hong Kong 2020, August 18, 2014
EN: http://bit.ly/1mhLWLb /

Human Rights Defenders (人权卫士)

Inner Mongolian dissident's wife cut off from the Internet
哈达妻新娜披露网警施压遭报复 封锁互联网屏蔽境外电话
Radio Free Asia, August 18, 2014
EN: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/internet-08182014134556.html
CH: http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/ql1-08182014094651.html

International Relations (国际关系)

China’s dilemma in the Middle East
中国该不该参与中东维稳?
Financial Times, August 19, 2014
EN: blogs.ft.com/nick-butler/2014/08/17/chinas-strategic-dilemma-in-the-middle-east/
CH: www.ftchinese.com/story/001057781

Media (媒体)

Xi Jinping calls for new style of media organisation
South China Morning Post, August 18, 2014
www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1576351/xi-jinping-calls-new-style-media-organisation

Protests and Petitions (抗议和请愿)

China watches the Ferguson protests
The Diplomat, August 18, 2014
thediplomat.com/2014/08/china-watches-the-ferguson-protests/

Related:
Why China hasn’t been milking Ferguson for all it’s worth
The Wall Street Journal, August 18, 2014
blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2014/08/18/why-china-hasnt-been-milking-fer >guson-for-all-its-worth/

内蒙上千天主教徒抗议政府侵吞教产 遭特警喷辣椒水殴打镇压神父被监控 (Over 1000 Inner Mongolian Catholics protest gov’t over land use, several protestors beaten and pepper sprayed by riot police)
Radio Free Asia, August 18, 2014
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/shehui/xl1-08182014094834.html

Religion (宗教)

For Chinese, Pope seems worlds away in South Korea
中国天主教徒:教皇近在韩国远在天边
The New York Times, August 19, 2014
cn.nytimes.com/world/20140819/c19catholics/dual/

McDonald's murder in China: “evil cult members” face trial for woman's death
The Guardian, August 18, 2014
www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/18/mcdonalds-murder-china-five-stand-trial

Tibet (西藏)

权益组织:两名藏人示威者在押期间死亡 (Rights organization: two Tibetan protestors died during detention)
Deutsche Welle, August 19, 2014
http://dw.de/p/1Cwmx

XUAR (新疆维吾尔自治区)

Retired Chinese Minister of Culture Wang Meng makes moderate plea for Xinjiang unity
South China Morning Post, August 18, 2014
www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1576053/retired-chinese-minister-culture-wang-meng-makes-moderate-plea