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.

Friday, December 02, 2022

China's Reach & Internal Control (中国:内控与外扩)

China Clamps Down on Internet as It Seeks to Stamp Out Covid Protests
中国指示科技公司加大网络审查力度,以遏制反封控抗议
The Wall Street Journal, December 1-2, 2022

‘They are deleting our images’: Chinese protesters detail digital censorship, VPN struggles as fight over COVID lockdowns grows
The Daily Dot, December 2, 2022

“‘The Chinese authorities are faced with steep legitimacy and regime stability challenges posed by these multi-city protests now also morphing into attacks on the central government and even naming the self-proclaimed “general” of China’s war against COVID—Xi Jinping,’ said Sharon Hom, the Executive Director of Human Rights in China, while talking to the Daily Dot.

“‘The usual social control tools of an authoritarian regime—online censorship, surveillance, intimidation, and targeting and detention of protestors—may not be effective in the longer term to deal with the explosion of online and offline expression and protest actions,’ she added.”

“白纸运动”背后是美国的5亿经费?阴谋论是如何在中国社媒上传开的(U.S. is using $5 billion to fund "White Paper Movement"? How a conspiracy theory spreads on Chinese social media)
Voice of America, December 2, 2022

China brings in ‘emergency’ level censorship over zero-Covid protests
The Guardian, December 2, 2022

China hosts Asia security group’s talks on building regional influence
South China Morning Post, December 2, 2022