Access to Justice (司法公正)

十二届全国人大常委会第三十一次会议在京举行(NPC’s Standing Committee holds 31st meeting in Beijing)
National People’s Congress, Dec 22, 2017
http://www.npc.gov.cn/npc/xinwen/syxw/2017-12/22/content_2034302.htm

北京警校一哥涉害死維權人士 被美列入制裁名單 (US sanctions Party Secretary of Beijing People’s Police College over death of human rights defender Cao Shunli)
Apple Daily, December 22, 2017
https://hk.news.appledaily.com/china/realtime/article/20171222/57612456

Related:
Small step toward accountability: US sanctions a Chinese official over death of Cao Shunli
China Human Rights Defenders, December 22, 2017
https://www.nchrd.org/2017/12/small-step-toward-accountability-us-sanctions-a-chinese-official-over-death-of-cao-shunli/

人民陪审员法一审：选任学历降至高中 (First draft of People’s Assessors Law lowers education requirement of lay jurors to high school level)
The Paper, December 22, 2017
http://news.sina.com.cn/c/2017-12-22/doc-ifypwzxq5276268.shtml

法官法拟修改：非因法定情形法官不被调离审判岗位 (Judges Law draft revision protects judges from arbitrary removal)
Beijing News, December 22, 2017
http://www.bjnews.com.cn/news/2017/12/22/469694.html

Related:
法官法检察官法修订草案一审:拟设两级遴选委员会(Judges and Procuratorates Law revision proposes two tiers of selection committees)
The Paper, December 22, 2017
http://news.sina.com.cn/o/2017-12-22/doc-ifypwzxq5301225.shtml

China adds new protections for graft suspects amid detention system overhaul
Reuters, December 22, 2017
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-lawmaking-corruption/china-adds-new-protections-for-graft-suspects-amid-detention-system-overhaul-idUSKBN1EG0EG

Two Uyghur students die in China’s custody following voluntary return from Egypt
Radio Free Asia, December 21, 2017
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/students-12212017141002.html

Chinese army “spared no-one” in 1989 mass killings in Beijing: UK cables
英国近期解密六四事件外交档案
Radio Free Asia, December 21, 2017
EN: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/tianmen-revelations-12212017131357.html
CH: http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/zhengzhi/yl-12202017105100.html?searchterm:utf8:ustring=%E5%85%AD%E5%9B%9B

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

黑龙江省民代幼教师6000多人到省教育厅上访维权 (6000 kindergarten substitute teachers from Heliongjiang petition provincial Department of Education for their rights)
Weiquanwang, December 21, 2017
http://wqw2010.blogspot.hk/2017/12/6000.html

Government Accountability (政府问责)

No man an island: China warns against straying from party path
Reuters, December 22, 2017
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-politics/no-man-an-island-china-warns-against-straying-from-party-path-idUSKBN1EG0DD

监察法草案：监察委副主任由本级人大常委会任免 (Draft Supervision Law proposes NPC Standing Committee holds powers of appointment and removal of deputy-secretary of Supervisory Commission)
The Paper, December 22, 2017
http://news.sina.com.cn/o/2017-12-22/doc-ifypwzxq5272995.shtml

土壤污染防治法草案二审：治污不力 市长将被约谈 (Second draft law on Preventing and Controlling Soil Pollution requires local officials to be questioned for weak enforcement)
The Paper, December 22, 2017
http://news.sina.com.cn/c/nd/2017-12-22/doc-ifypvuqf0024923.shtml

政府给社会组织强制摊派扶贫任务将被严肃追责(Governments can be harshly sanctioned for forcing their poverty alleviation responsibilities on social organizations)
Legal Daily, Dec 22, 2017
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/index_article/content/2017-12/22/content_7428378.htm?node=5955

Hong Kong (香港)

記協：《香港01》六四報道被擱置　憂涉政治因素(Hong Kong Journalists Association is concerned Hong Kong 01 report on June 4 incident was shelved due to political factors)
Mingpao, December 22, 2017
https://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20171222/s00001/1513925160863/

Related:
《香港01》刪改六四事件解密檔案報道惹關注(Revision of declassified Hong Kong 01 report on June 4 incident raises concerns about media censorship)
British Broadcasting Company, December 21, 2017
http://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/trad/chinese-news-42436695

人大常委會下周三表決一地兩檢草案　譚惠珠：不涉釋法 (NPC Standing Committee agrees to Wednesday vote on co-location agreement, Maria Tam says Basic Law interpretation not involved)
Radio Television Hong Kong, December 22, 2017
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/ch/component/k2/1371425-20171222.htm/

Hong Kong employer who abused domestic worker Erwiana ordered to pay HK$810k in damages
Hong Kong Free Press, December 21, 2017
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2017/12/21/hong-kong-employer-abused-domestic-worker-erwiana-ordered-pay-hk810k-damages/

I never said I’d help halt soaring property prices: Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam
South China Morning Post, December 22, 2017
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/economy/article/2125374/i-never-said-id-turn-tide-soaring-property-prices-hong-kong

Related:
Hong Kong property prices on the rise, families look for affordable homes
Voice of America, December 21, 2017
https://www.voanews.com/a/housing-in-hong-kong-/4173017.html

Commentary (评论)

因國家安全之名(In the name of national security)
Mingpao, December 22, 2017
https://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20171222/s00022/1513860986197

What's really behind Chinese assertiveness in the South China Sea?
The Diplomat, December 22, 2017
https://thediplomat.com/2017/12/whats-really-behind-chinese-assertiveness-in-the-south-china-sea/

You’re registered. Now what?
China File, December 21, 2017
http://www.chinafile.com/ngo/latest/youre-registered-now-what

China’s Belt and Road meets Trump’s Afghanistan plan
The Diplomat, December 21, 2017
https://thediplomat.com/2017/12/chinas-belt-and-road-meets-trumps-afghanistan-plan/