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, January 07, 2022

Access to Information (公众知情权)

China’s online nationalists turn paranoia into clickbait
The Economist, January 8, 2022

议论疫情多名中国网民被捕 涉传播西安谣言一官员遭免职(Netizens are detained for discussing the COVID surge in Xi’an; local official is dismissed for spreading rumors)
Radio Free Asia, January 7, 2022

Government Accountability (政府问责)

China and America prepare for a human-rights showdown at the UN
The Economist, January 8, 2022

China’s propaganda machine is embracing a new slogan to entrench Xi Jinping’s status
South China Morning Post, January 6, 2022

福布斯:中国疫情死亡数据极不靠谱 缺乏研究价值(Forbes: China's COVID death data is extremely unreliable, lacks research value)
Voice of America, January 7, 2022

Related:
Part 1: Beijing Is Intentionally Underreporting China’s Covid Death Rate
Forbes, Jan 2, 2022

Part 2: Beijing Is Intentionally Underreporting China’s Covid Death Rate
Forbes, Jan 5, 2022

Japan and U.S. vow more defence cooperation to counter Chinese threat
Reuters, January 7, 2022

Related:
Joint Statement of the U.S.-Japan Security Consultative Committee ("2+2")
U.S. Department of Defense, January 6, 2022

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

China tech crackdown: fresh antitrust fines on Alibaba and Tencent signal continued scrutiny in 2022
South China Morning Post, January 6, 2022

无惧海康威视“霸凌” 美调查机构称将继续曝光其无良作为(No fear of Hikvision’s "bullying," U.S. investigative agency says it will continue to expose its unethical practices)
Voice of America, January 7, 2022

台湾发现小米手机审查政治敏感字汇 恐有回传信息疑虑(Taiwan finds Xiaomi phones censor politically sensitive words, fears information retrieval)
Radio Free Asia, January 7, 2022

Hong Kong (香港)

Covid-19: Quarantine for 170 guests at Chinese official’s b’day party, inc. 13 senior Hong Kong officials & 19 lawmakers
Hong Kong Free Press, January 7, 2022

Related:
高官赴百人慶生宴須隔離 醫學會蔡堅:不准百姓點燈 (Quarantine of senior officials who attended banquet; Dr. Choi Kin of Hong Kong Medical Association: [Officials could do whatever they want while] ordinary people are restricted in their normal activities)
inmedia.hk, January 7, 2022

One year on, Hong Kong activist priest stages rare silent sit-in urging release of detained democrats
Hong Kong Free Press, January 7, 2022

China crushes Hong Kong’s independent news outlets
The Economist, January 8, 2022

港记泪别《立场新闻》《众新闻》:记者身份不死 (Hong Kong reporters’ tearful goodbye to Stand News, Citizen News: Journalists’ status shall live on)
Deutsche Welle, January 7, 2022