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, March 18, 2021

Xinjiang (新疆)

China accuses outspoken scholar on Xinjiang of fabrication
Associated Press, March 18, 2021

Xinjiang’s leaders must ‘optimise’ governance of region, Communist Party’s No 4 says
South China Morning Post, March 18, 2021

Inner Mongolia (内蒙古)

China takes aim at corrupt cadres and officials in expanded Inner Mongolia campaign
South China Morning Post, March 18, 2021

Taiwan (台湾)

不许访台湾?法国回绝中国警告:参议员想见谁就见谁(Not allowed to visit Taiwan? France rejects China’s warning: Senators will meet with whomever they wish)
Voice of America, March 18, 2021

Access to Justice (司法公正)

Canadians held in China on spying charges face trial within days
BBC News, March 18, 2021

China: Immediately release Frontline Delivery Worker Chen Guojiang
Chinese Human Rights Defenders, March 18, 2021

Government Accountability (政府问责)

U.S. Punishes 24 Chinese Officials on Eve of First Talks Under Biden
中美高层对话前夕,美国就香港问题制裁24名中共官员

The New York Times, March 18, 2021

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

With rising confidence, Xi Jinping wields the internet as a tool of empowerment and control, speeches reveal
South China Morning Post, March 18, 2021

China delivers on threats to rein in internet economy
Reuters, March 18, 2021

Beijing sours on facial recognition, unless it’s the one doing it
Protocol, March 18, 2021

网信办启动语音识别监控 约谈腾讯、字节跳动等企业(Office of Cyberspace Administration of China launches voice recognition monitoring, interviews Tencent, ByteDance and other companies)
Radio Free Asia, March 18, 2021

Related:
国家互联网信息办公室、公安部加强对语音社交软件和涉深度伪造技术的互联网新技术新应用安全评估(Office of Cyberspace Administration of China and Ministry of Public Security strengthen security assessment of social media voice software and new Internet technologies and applications involving deep forgery technology)
cpc.people.com, March 18, 2021

美国开始撤销中国通信公司在美国的经营权(U.S. begins to revoke rights of Chinese communications companies to operate in the U.S)
Voice of America, March 18, 2021

Related:
FCC moves against two Chinese telecoms firms operating in U.S.
Reuters, March 17, 2021

老挝签订电网特许协议,中国全面控管25年(Laos signs power grid concession agreement allowing China full control for 25 years)
Voice of America, March 18, 2021

Hong Kong (香港)

Hong Kong prosecutor who complained about police has been suspended – reports
Hong Kong Free Press, March 18, 2021

Legal aid boss defends funding for protesters
The Standard, March 18, 2021

National Security Law Casts a Shadow Over Hong Kong’s Art Scene
The Diplomat, March 18, 2021

Who were the democrats said to have attended the closed-door consultation on Hong Kong’s electoral overhaul?
Hong Kong Free Press, March 18, 2021

【專訪】許智峯:在澳洲,不浪費任何一刻的自由(Hong Kong lawmaker Ted Hui in exile: I won’t waste one more moment of my freedom in Australia)
Stand News, March 18, 2021

地盤工發帖稱「包圍新屋嶺」原判社服令 上訴庭指「十分嚴重」改判囚13個月(Construction worker’s initial sentence of community service order is changed to a 13-month jail term over social media post that mentioned “surround San Uk Ling Holding Centre” in 2019)
inmedia.net, March 18, 2021

Commentary (评论)

China’s political gender gap remains huge. So much for women holding up half the sky
South China Morning Post, March 18, 2021

Commentary: Is China too big to tame? No easy answers to Quad’s central challenge
Channel News Asia, March 18, 2021