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.

Thursday, February 28, 2019

Access to Justice (司法公正)

“电视认罪” - 中国“法治”的一大特色 (“TV confessions” are a major characteristic of China’s “rule of law”)
Voice of America, February 28, 2019

Detained Chinese-Australian writer Yang Hengjun kept in dark about lawyer
Australia Broadcasting Corporation, February 27, 2019

Shenzhen labor activists formally arrested
China Labour Bulletin, February 27, 2019

Access to Information (信息公开)

Newspaper boss gets death threats after tracking Chinese leaders’ assets
Radio Free Asia, February 27, 2019

Cracking down on dissenting versions of history
Dui Hua Human Rights Journal, February 27, 2019

Chinese-funded institutes on U.S. college campuses condemned in Senate report
Politico, February 27, 2019

Related:
美政府问责办公室发布关于孔子学院的调查报告 (U.S. Government Accountability Office publishes investigative report on Confucius Institutes, raises concern on academic screening)
Voice of America, February 28, 2019

China’s Impact on the U.S. Education System
United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, February 27, 2019

专访: 微信上的台湾新闻误导中国人 (Interview: News on WeChat about Taiwan is designed to mislead Chinese citizens)
Deutsche Welle, February 27, 2019

“咪蒙”遭全网封杀背后,中国自媒体生存空间再受挤压 (Behind the complete ban of “Mi Meng”: The continued suppression of China’s independent media)
BBC News, February 27, 2019

The Chinese scientist and the foreign tongue
SupChina, February 27, 2019

“Red culture” lessons launched in Jiangxi schools, kindergartens included
Global Times, February 26, 2019

Is China headed towards a future without foreign bands?
Radii China, February 25, 2019

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

Donald Trump, human rights activist? Meet the Chinese dissidents sticking up for the U.S. president
South China Morning Post, February 28, 2019

Hidden women of history: Hsieh Hsüeh-hung, communist champion of Taiwanese self-determination
The Conversation, February 28, 2019

Government Accountability (政府问责)

Hundreds of Chinese villagers end up on social credit blacklist after being “tricked” into applying for U.S. $15m worth of loans
South China Morning Post, February 28, 2019

China warns party members to stick to Marx, not “ghosts and spirits”
Reuters, February 27, 2019

Related:
中共中央关于加强党的政治建设的意见 (CPC Central Committee directive: “Local people’s congresses, administrative organs, political consultative organs, supervisory organs, judicial organs, and procuratorial organs are in essence political organs”)
Xinhua, February 27, 2019

“China is biggest foreign threat to America,” says action group set up by former U.S. ambassador to UN Nikki Haley
South China Morning Post, February 27, 2019

China says Taiwan talks must benefit “reunification”
Reuters, February 27, 2019

Top Chinese officials plagiarized doctoral dissertations
Financial Times, February 27, 2019

中国拟出台新法 管理基因编辑等生物医学新技术临床应用 (National Health Committee releases new draft law on regulating clinical trials of bio-tech such as genetic engineering)
Voice of America, February 27, 2019

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

德國據報尋求與中國簽互不進行間諜活動協議 免 5G 網絡排除華為 (Reports: Instead of banning Huawei, Germany proposes no-espionage agreement with China)
The Stand News, February 28, 2019

让网络安全公司维护互联网“法治”
Cyber security firms show how to bring the rule of law online
Financial Times, February 28, 2019

Limiting your digital footprints in a surveillance state
The New York Times, February 27, 2019

Tencent adds teachers to gaming controls for minors
TechNode, February 27, 2019

Beijing rhetoric belies reality of China’s private enterprise
Financial Times, February 27, 2019

Hong Kong (香港)

Delay for gay ruling rejected
The Standard, February 28, 2019

香港法律界权威人士称 移交逃犯修例严重影响一国两制 (Hong Kong legal experts say amendment to extradition laws severely undermines One Country Two Systems)
Voice of America, February 28, 2019

Hong Kong Budget 2019: Democrats and pro-Beijing camp bemoan “disappointing,” “conservative” spending plan
Hong Kong Free Press, February 27, 2019

In Hong Kong, a “weaponized” free press becomes China’s tool of surveillance
The Globe and Mail, February 26, 2019

Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong has prison abuse claims thrown out as court finds guards “more credible”
South China Morning Post, February 27, 2019

Commentary (评论)

國旗法與國歌法中的兩個「侮辱」(“Desecrate” under national flag law versus “insult” under national anthem law)
Ming Pao, February 28, 2019

The perils of Chinese ambiguity: How and why the U.S. mistrusts and misunderstands China
South China Morning Post, February 28, 2019

梁旭明:安全政治參與——香港網台觀眾,生活中的政論家 (How Hong Kong internet broadcasts can turn anyone into a political commentator)
The Initium, February 27, 2019

“Social credit” scoring: How China’s Communist Party is incentivizing repression
Hong Kong Free Press, February 27, 2019

“中国通”马凯:我们不可能摆脱中国 (Kai Strittmatter: There’s no getting rid of China)
Deutsche Welle, February 27, 2019

Crackdown on university radicals looms
South China Morning Post, February 27, 2019