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, December 21, 2020

Access to Information (公众知情权)

No ‘Negative’ News: How China Censored the Coronavirus
压制负面新闻:机密文件揭露中国如何操纵疫情舆论

New York Times and ProPublica, December 19, 2020

Xinjiang (新疆)

AP Interview: China signals shift but no let-up in Xinjiang
Associated Press, December 21, 2020

诉讼律师欲提新证据 重启对中共迫害维吾尔人的调查 (Lawyers press for restart of investigation into the CPC's persecution of Uyghurs, offering to provide new evidence)
Voice of America, December 21, 2020

Access to Justice (司法公正)

Yang Hengjun: Australian writer's espionage trial in China delayed by three months
The Guardian, December 21, 2020

Human rights in China: dissident poet Wang Zang and wife could face trail soon, lawyer says
South China Morning Post, December 20, 2020

Government Accountability (政府问责)

China’s new data privacy law ‘will state how facial recognition can be used’
South China Morning Post, December 21, 2020

美两党议员发起《停止强摘器官法案》(Bi-partisan U.S. lawmakers introduce bill to stop enforced organ harvesting)
Voice of America, December 19, 2020

Related:
Smith, Suozzi, Cotton unveil bill to combat forced organ harvesting
United States House of Representatives, December 16, 2020

推新外资审查机制 中国:不是搞保护主义 (China on new foreign investment review mechanism: We don’t want protectionism)
Deutsche Welle, December 19, 2020

Related:
外商投资安全审查办法
The National Development and Reform Commission of the People's Republic of China, December 19, 2020

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

U.S. lawmakers back $1.9 billion to replace telecom equipment from China's Huawei, ZTE - sources
Reuters, December 21, 2020

Zoom Executive Accused of Disrupting Calls at China’s Behest
Zoom高管被起诉,涉嫌干扰“六四”纪念会议

The New York Times, December 21, 2020

Hong Kong (香港)

香港人民自由與選擇法案未獲美國參議院通過 共和黨參議員克魯茲反對:憂致中國間諜進入美國 (U.S. senate votes down the Hong Kong People's Freedom and Choice Act; republican senator Ted Cruz fears it would facilitate China’s spies entering U.S.)
Ming Pao, December 19, 2020

Hong Kong's top court rules 2019 mask ban constitutional
香港法院裁定《禁蒙面法》合宪 民主派质疑北京施压 (Hong Kong court rules mask ban law constitutional; democrats suspect pressure from Beijing)
Deutsche Welle, December 21, 2020

【12港人】家屬促入境處協助 盼能北上聽審:想見佢一面 (Families of 12 detained Hong Kongers seek assistance from Immigration Department to attend hearing in mainland China)
inmedia.hk, December 21, 2020

12港人扣內地|蓬佩奧促放12港人 斥中共將香港變東柏林 特區政府:罔顧事實混淆是非 (Pompeo urges release of 12 detained Hong Kongers, criticizes CPC for turning Hong Kong into East Berlin; HKSAR gov't: U.S. criticism ignores facts, confuses right and wrong)
Ming Pao, December 19, 2020

香港紫荆党:亲北京商人筹组新党为确保“百年一国两制”? (Hong Kong Bauhinia Party: Pro-Beijing businessmen found new party to ensure 100 years of “one country, two systems”?)
BBC, December 21, 2020

Commentary (评论)

中國高票當選聯合國人權理事會成員,這是讓縱火犯領導消防隊! (Electing China to UN Human Rights Council is akin to letting arsonist lead firefighters!)
The News Lens, December 21, 2020