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, August 06, 2018

Access to Justice (司法公正)

黄琦狱中病情危重 母亲促当局放人 (Dissident Huang Qi in critical condition in prison, mother urges his release)
Radio Free Asia, August 6, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/ql1-08062018093111.html

Detained Chinese professor moved to unknown location
Voice of America, August 5, 2018
https://www.voanews.com/a/china-professor-sun-whereabouts-unknown/4514282.html

Related:
Arrest seen as part of China's efforts to crush criticism
Voice of America, August 4, 2018
https://www.voanews.com/a/observers-sun-wenguang-s-arrest-is-part-of-china-s-attempts-to-crush-anti-government-sentiments/4513653.html

Tibetan protest singer freed after serving more than three years in prison
Radio Free Asia, August 3, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/singer-08032018153355.html

Access to Information (信息公开)

Chris Patten: China “wrong” to try to silence Hong Kong activist
Agence France-Presse, August 6, 2018
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/06/chris-patten-china-wrong-to-try-to-silence-hong-kong-activist

Some Ai Weiwei art will be lost to wrecking ball, artist’s assistant says as demolition work on his Beijing studio continues
South China Morning Post, August 6, 2018
https://www.scmp.com/culture/arts-entertainment/article/2158500/some-ai-weiwei-art-will-be-lost-wrecking-ball-artists

二季度全国政府网站抽查 共300人被问责 (Second quarter of government website spot-check holds 300 people accountable for website management, errors)
People’s Daily, August 6, 2018
http://politics.people.com.cn/n1/2018/0806/c1001-30212376.html

环境监测数据造假 生态环境部约谈临汾市政府负责人 (Ministry of Ecology and Environment questions key municipal officials in Linyi air quality data fraud incident)
People’s Daily, August 6, 2018
http://politics.people.com.cn/n1/2018/0806/c1001-30211937.html

Gay-themed drama is latest victim of China’s drive to purge “harmful and obscene” content from web
South China Morning Post, August 4, 2018
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2158196/gay-themed-drama-latest-victim-chinas-drive-purge-harmful-and

“Christopher Robin” won’t get a release in China, where Winnie the Pooh is a symbol of resistance
Quartz, August 4, 2018
https://qz.com/quartzy/1348099/christopher-robin-wont-get-a-release-in-china-where-winnie-the-pooh-is-a-symbol-of-resistance/

Is Western media biased against China? (Part Two)
Global Voices, August 3, 2018
https://globalvoices.org/2018/08/03/is-western-media-biased-against-china-part-two/

Related:
Is Western media biased against China? (Part One)
Global Voices, July 26, 2018
https://globalvoices.org/2018/07/26/is-western-media-biased-against-china-part-one/

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

Police thwart protest rallies by victims of China’s underground financial system
South China Morning Post, August 6, 2018
https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/2158533/police-thwart-protest-rallies-victims-chinas-underground

Related:
P2P 投资人北京集体维权遭维稳 (Mass of P2P fundraising victims from across China travel to petition in Beijing, demonstrations suppressed)
Voice of America, August 6, 2018
https://www.voachinese.com/a/china-p2p-petitioners-blocked-20180806/4515240.html

Chinese P2P chief Yao Kunjie makes the Forbes high achievers list while under investigation
South China Morning Post, August 4, 2018
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/economy/article/2158299/chinese-p2p-chief-yao-kunjie-makes-forbes-high-achievers-list

辽宁氧化铝项目叫停 政府打压抗议者 (Environmental protests succeed in halting Liaoning aluminum oxidization plant project, authorities suppress protests)
Radio Free Asia, August 6, 2018
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/huanjing/yf1-08062018100450.html

Cracks appear in “invincible” Xi Jinping's authority over China
The Guardian, August 4, 2018
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/04/cracks-appear-in-invincible-xi-jinpings-authority-over-china

Taipei-born actress Vivian Sung causes social media storm for calling Taiwan her “favorite country”
What’s on Weibo, August 3, 2018
https://www.whatsonweibo.com/taipei-born-actress-vivian-sung-causes-social-media-storm-for-calling-taiwan-her-favorite-country/

Government Accountability (政府问责)

Taiwan national flag flies at Paris Gay Games opening despite pressure from China
Hong Kong Free Press, August 6, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/08/06/taiwan-national-flag-flies-paris-gay-games-opening-despite-pressure-china/

Taiwan considering countermeasures against airlines referring to island as part of China
Hong Kong Free Press, August 6, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/08/06/taiwan-considering-countermeasures-airlines-referring-island-part-china/

Related:
Taiwan: How airlines are being dragged into China’s bitter dispute over the island’s sovereignty
The Conversation, August 6, 2018
https://theconversation.com/taiwan-how-airlines-are-being-dragged-into-chinas-bitter-dispute-over-the-islands-sovereignty-100932

Shanghai Airport Authority boss under investigation for violating Party discipline and laws
South China Morning Post, August 6, 2018
https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2158536/shanghai-airport-authority-boss-under-investigation-violating

Related:
上海机场(集团)董事长吴建融接受纪律审查和监察调查 (Chairman of board of Shanghai Airport Authority investigated for serious disciplinary, legal violations)
People’s Daily, August 6, 2018
http://politics.people.com.cn/n1/2018/0806/c1001-30212395.html

陕西省纪委原预防腐败室主任胡传祥接受纪律审查和监察调查 (Director of Shaanxi Provincial Commission for Disciple Inspection, Hu Chuanxiang, investigated for serious disciplinary, legal violations)
Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, August 6, 2018
http://www.ccdi.gov.cn/yaowen/201808/t20180806_177285.html

Worries grow in Singapore over China’s calls to help “motherland”
The New York Times, August 5, 2018
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/05/world/asia/singapore-china.html

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

Google eyes China cloud tie-ups
Bloomberg, August 6, 2018
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/section-news.php?id=198687&sid=2&sid=2

British putting Huawei under spotlight over use of US firm’s ageing software
Reuters, August 5, 2018
https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2158312/british-putting-huawei-under-spotlight-over-use-us-firms-ageing

Drones, facial recognition and a social credit system: 10 ways China watches its citizens
South China Morning Post, August 4, 2018
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2157883/drones-facial-recognition-and-social-credit-system-10-ways-china

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

In new admin error, Germany expels Uighur man to China
Channel NewsAsia, August 6, 2018
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/in-new-admin-error--germany-expels-uighur-man-to-china-10593792

Related:
德国误将维吾尔难民遣返回中国 音讯全无 (Germany mistakenly sends Uyghur refugee back to China)
Deutsche Welle, August 6, 2018
https://www.dw.com/zh/德国误将维吾尔难民遣返回中国-音讯全无/a-44967857?maca=chi-rss-chi-ca-1044-rdf&zhongwen=simp

Crackdown in Xinjiang: Where have all the people gone?
Financial Times, August 5, 2018
https://www.ft.com/content/ac0ffb2e-8b36-11e8-b18d-0181731a0340

Hong Kong (香港)

Hong Kong’s domestic helper groups push for 25 per cent pay rise as soaring loan charges and fees bite
South China Morning Post, August 6, 2018
https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/2158525/hong-kongs-domestic-helper-groups-push-25-cent-pay

As Hong Kong clamps down, a tiny political party finds itself in the spotlight
The New York Times, August 6, 2018
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/06/world/asia/hong-kong-political-party.html

Related:
Ex-leader CY Leung dares Foreign Correspondents’ Club to give up lease and make open bid for site as Andy Chan row escalates
South China Morning Post, August 6, 2018
https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2158527/ex-leader-cy-leung-dares-foreign-correspondents-club-give

Head of press club refutes claim it pays gov’t “token rent” amid independence activist censorship row
Hong Kong Free Press, August 6, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/08/06/head-press-club-refutes-claim-pays-govt-token-rent-amid-independence-activist-censorship-row/

香港外國記者會:邀請嘉賓演講不代表支持或反對其立場 (FCC statement on Andy Chan event)
Radio Television Hong Kong, August 6, 2018
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/ch/component/k2/1410880-20180806.htm

Throwing glass towards ex-Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying could not have been assault, Wong Yuk-man says at appeal
South China Morning Post, August 6, 2018
https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-law-and-crime/article/2158495/throwing-glass-towards-ex-hong-kong-leader

Vandals take aim at satirical banners outside China office featuring Mao Zedong democracy quotes
Hong Kong Free Press, August 4, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/08/04/vandals-take-aim-satirical-banners-outside-china-office-featuring-mao-zedong-democracy-quotes/

Mainland Chinese police to Hong Kong criminals: You can run, but you can’t hide here – as they hand back three suspects in HK$23 million jewelry robbery
South China Morning Post, August 4, 2018
https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-law-and-crime/article/2158290/mainland-police-tell-hong-kongs-criminals-you

Commentary (评论)

China’s global “community” falls short of rhetoric
Financial Times, August 6, 2018
https://www.ft.com/content/08239ba2-997c-11e8-ab77-f854c65a4465

How China’s constitution ensured that the Basic Law remains pre-eminent in Hong Kong
South China Morning Post, August 6, 2018
https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/hong-kong/article/2158137/how-chinas-constitution-ensured-basic-law-remains

Pooh ban shows China trapped in past
The Standard, August 6, 2018
http://www.thestandard.com.hk/section-news.php?id=198675&sid=17&sid=17

The true purpose of banning the National Party
South China Morning Post, August 5, 2018
https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/2158351/true-purpose-banning-national-party

China’s attempts to bully Taiwan into submission are overbearing and ridiculous
Hong Kong Free Press, August 4, 2018
https://www.hongkongfp.com/2018/08/04/chinas-attempts-bully-taiwan-submission-overbearing-ridiculous/

Google’s censored Chinese search engine: A catalogue of ethical violations?
The Conversation, August 3, 2018
https://theconversation.com/googles-censored-chinese-search-engine-a-catalogue-of-ethical-violations-101046

If Google goes back to China, it will be on the government's terms. What will that mean for human rights?
Global Voices, August 3, 2018
https://globalvoices.org/2018/08/03/if-google-goes-back-to-china-it-will-be-on-the-governments-terms-what-will-that-mean-for-human-rights/