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.

Monday, March 05, 2018

Access to Justice (司法公正)

修憲草案倡增設「國家監察委員會」為最高監察機關 (National Supervisory Commission to become top supervision agency, says Constitution amendments draft)
Radio Television Hong Kong, March 5, 2018
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/ch/component/k2/1383942-20180305.htm

Xi power play in focus as China parliament opens
Agence France-Presse, March 5, 2018
https://www.afp.com/en/news/826/xi-power-play-focus-china-parliament-opens-doc-11w6fs2

Related:
China's “two sessions”: Economics, environment and Xi's power
British Broadcasting Corporation, March 5, 2018
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-43239646

Hu Jia and NPC: China's dissidents silenced by enforced “holidays”
British Broadcasting Corporation, March 5, 2018
http://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-china-43278771/hu-jia-and-npc-china-s-dissidents-silenced-by-enforced-holidays

Access to Information (信息公开)

China presses its Internet censorship efforts cross the globe
冲出“防火长城”,中国互联网审查走向世界
The New York Times, March 2, 2018
EN: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/02/technology/china-technology-censorship-borders-expansion.html
CH: https://cn.nytimes.com/china/20180305/china-technology-censorship-borders-expansion/

人民日报:表情包也要有“法治脸” (People’s Daily: Internet memes should be based on public interest and comply with laws, not break moral code or contain superstitious content)
People’s Daily, March 2, 2018
http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/html/2018-03/02/nw.D110000renmrb_20180302_5-05.htm

多部门重拳整治网络直播间违法行为 记者调查发现网络直播平台“雾霾”正在消散 (“Content becomes more elegant” after multiple departments crack down on “illegal behavior” during live-streaming)
Legal Daily, March 2, 2018
http://www.legaldaily.com.cn/index_article/content/2018-03/02/content_7485909.htm

Zhihu, China’s Quora, removed from app stores for one week for insufficient censorship
Shanghaiist, March 2, 2018
https://medium.com/shanghaiist/zhihu-chinas-quora-removed-from-app-stores-for-one-week-for-insufficient-censorship-bff15280741c

China bans George Orwell's Animal Farm and letter “N” as censors bolster Xi Jinping's plan to keep power indefinitely
Independent, March 1, 2018
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/china-animal-farm-ban-censorship-george-orwell-xi-jinping-power-letter-n-a8235071.html

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

Five lawyers write to Minister of Justice: Cease the campaign-style political crackdown against China’s lawyers
China Change, March 2, 2018
https://chinachange.org/2018/03/02/five-lawyers-write-to-minister-of-justice-cease-the-campaign-style-political-crackdown-against-chinas-lawyers/

Related:
致司法部部长张军的一封公开信: 请终止对律师的运动式打压 (Open letter to Zhang Jun, Minister of Justice: Please cease the campaign-style political crackdown against lawyers)
Evernote, March 2, 2018
https://www.evernote.com/shard/s574/sh/bedbe526-4424-4624-9e1f-9a8813dd84ab/9a8ac8cd87c235d2cbe0435232acd755

Government Accountability (政府问责)

China to be more open to foreign investment, speed up Beijing-led trade bloc and strengthen its military: Li Keqiang
South China Morning Post, March 5, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2135619/what-will-chinas-parliamentary-session-reveal-about-its

China’s women-only subway cars, where men rush in
The New York Times, March 4, 2018
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/04/business/china-women-only-subway-cars.html

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

Tencent CEO urges ID link for Hong Kong and Chinese citizens
Bloomberg, March 5, 2018
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-05/tencent-ceo-urges-id-link-for-hong-kong-and-chinese-citizens

The increasing use of artificial intelligence is stoking privacy concerns in China
South China Morning Post, March 5, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2135713/increasing-use-artificial-intelligence-stoking-privacy-concerns

“飞屏”“VR”来袭 北京检方首次启用可视化系统公诉 (Beijing procurators provide witnesses with virtual reality technology to reconstruct crime scene in court)
Xinhua News Agency, March 1, 2018
http://www.xinhuanet.com/legal/2018-03/01/c_1122474043.htm

National Security & Counterterrorism (国家安全和反恐)

China NPC: Government sets trillion yuan military budget
British Broadcasting Corporation, March 5, 2018
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-43282527

Europe once saw Xi Jinping as a hedge against Trump. Not anymore.
The New York Times, March 4, 2018
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/04/world/europe/europe-china-xi-trump-trade.html

Chinese police are demanding personal information from Uyghurs in France
Foreign Policy, March 2, 2018
http://foreignpolicy.com/2018/03/02/chinese-police-are-secretly-demanding-personal-information-from-french-citizens-uighurs-xinjiang/

China's cyber militias
The Diplomat, March 1, 2018
https://thediplomat.com/2018/03/chinas-cyber-militias/

Hong Kong (香港)

No plans to merge Hong Kong and Taiwan affairs offices, former Beijing official says
South China Morning Post, March 5, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2135638/no-plans-merge-hong-kong-and-taiwan-affairs-offices-former

Related:
China’s Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Offices to merge, top Beijing adviser says
Hong Kong Free Press, March 2, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/03/02/chinas-taiwan-hong-kong-macao-affairs-offices-merge-top-beijing-adviser-says/

Premier Li Keqiang declares China’s hold over Hong Kong is being strengthened, stops short of warning against independence
South China Morning Post, March 5, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2135685/premier-li-keqiang-declares-chinas-hold-over-hong-kong-being

Related:
China cuts reference to Hong Kong’s people governing themselves in key report
The Washington Post, March 5, 2018
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/03/05/china-cuts-reference-to-hong-kongs-people-governing-themselves-in-key-report/

Ex-lawmaker “Long Hair” cannot be charged with contempt for taking files from official, magistrate rules
Hong Kong Free Press, March 5, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/03/05/ex-lawmaker-long-hair-cannot-charged-contempt-taking-files-official-magistrate-rules/

區諾軒義工街頭遇襲骨裂 陳家珮強烈譴責促查 (Volunteer of pan-dems by-election hopeful Au Nok-hin attacked and suffered from fracture)
Mingpao, March 5, 2018
https://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20180305/s00001/1520207832250

Related:
Interview: Why accidental by-election hopeful Au Nok-hin is seeking your “protest vote”
Hong Kong Free Press, March 4, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/03/04/interview-accidental-election-hopeful-au-nok-hin-seeking-protest-vote/

Hong Kong’s McSleeper trend rises 50 per cent in three years, as NGO highlights vulnerability of women in the group
South China Morning Post, March 4, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/community/article/2135647/hong-kongs-mcsleeper-trend-rises-50-cent-three-years-ngo

姚松炎的社區大計:我要同 48 萬人一齊做議員! (Edward Yiu’s big community plan: I will be a lawmaker together with 480,000 people!)
Stand News, March 2, 2018
http://bit.ly/2I2dBC8

Commentary (评论)

China’s “win-win” resolution is anything but
Human Rights Watch, March 5, 2018
https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/03/05/chinas-win-win-resolution-anything

民主疲憊 文明倒退? (Democracy fatigue and civilization in regression)
Mingpao, March 5, 2018
https://news.mingpao.com/ins/instantnews/web_tc/article/20180305/s00022/1520165472721

只有用宪法,宪法才有用 (Constitution can only be useful when used constitutionally)
Financial Times, March 5, 2018
http://www.ftchinese.com/story/001076552

With term limits move, Xi is setting himself up for failure
South China Morning Post, March 5, 2018
http://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/2135418/term-limits-move-xi-setting-himself-failure

Related:
Xi Jinping’s power play: from president to China’s new dictator?
The Guardian, March 4, 2018
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/04/xi-jinping-from-president-to-china-new-dictator

Hong Kong in 2018 – time to pack your bags, or is there still room for utopianism?
Hong Kong Free Press, March 4, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/03/04/hong-kong-2018-time-pack-bags-still-room-utopianism/

High Court ruling on “live-in” rule guarantees further abuse of Hong Kong’s domestic workers
Hong Kong Free Press, March 4, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/03/04/high-court-ruling-live-rule-guarantees-abuse-hong-kongs-domestic-workers/