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.

Tuesday, July 20, 2021

Taiwan (台湾)

台灣稱將在立陶宛設代表處 歐洲首個以台灣為名代表處 (Taiwan to establish its first European representative office in Lithuania)
Radio Television Hong Kong, July 20, 2021

Macao (澳门)

专访:澳门民主派被DQ “乖孩子”论述破灭? (Interview with Macao senior democratic councillor Antonio Ng on the disqualification of democratic candidates, and the vanishing of the “candy for the good boy” theory)
Deutsche Welle, July 20, 2021

Access to Justice (司法公正)

大午案庭审直击:生不如死 黑白颠倒 疑遭诱捕构陷 (Latest updates on Sun Dawu's trial: Abuse in detention has made life worse than death; police is suspected of framing)
Radio Free Asia, July 19, 2021

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

The face of global luxury brands in China is at the heart of a #MeToo storm
Quartz, July 20, 2021

Government Accountability (政府问责)

國務院頒布支持三孩政策配套 包括取消超生罰款等 (China State Council promulgates three-child policy supportive measures, including eliminating over-birth penalty)
Radio Television Hong Kong, July 20, 2021

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

Beijing calls out Amazon, ByteDance, NetEase for violating users’ rights in latest crackdown
South China Morning Post, July 20, 2021

How China Transformed Into a Prime Cyber Threat to the U.S.
中国是如何成为美国主要网络威胁的

The New York Times, July 20, 2021

Related:
Calling out China for cyberattacks is risky — but a lawless digital world is even riskier
The Conversation, July 20, 2021

U.S. Formally Accuses China of Hacking Microsoft
美国正式指控中国政府入侵微软邮件系统

The New York Times, July 20, 2021

Relate:
Four Chinese Nationals Working with the Ministry of State Security Charged with Global Computer Intrusion Campaign Targeting Intellectual Property and Confidential Business Information, Including Infectious Disease Research
The United States Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs, July 19, 2021

China: Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union urging Chinese authorities to take action against malicious cyber activities undertaken from its territory
European Council, July 19, 2021

Japan govt says companies targeted by China-backed cyber hacking group
Reuters, July 19, 2021

Statement by the North Atlantic Council in solidarity with those affected by recent malicious cyber activities including the Microsoft Exchange Server compromise
North Atlantic Treaty Organization, July 19, 2021

赵立坚说美国是全球最大网络攻击来源国
U.S. is world's largest source of cyber attacks: FM spokesperson
Xinhua, July 20, 2021

Hong Kong (香港)

Hong Kong has no time for by-elections to fill more than 200 district council seats vacated by opposition: Carrie Lam
South China Morning Post, July 20, 2021

Small, obscure but newly powerful: a closer look at community groups that will help decide make-up of Hong Kong’s Election Committee
South China Morning Post, July 20, 2021

Hong Kong’s Carrie Lam seeks refuge from city’s anti-bribery laws behind blanket of national security
Hong Kong Free Press, July 20, 2021

Landmark Hong Kong security trial wraps up in test for rule of law
Reuters, July 20, 2021

「傑斯」被控串謀作煽動行為等 10 罪 控方申案交國安法指定法官審理(Online radio host Giggs' case: Prosecution requests transfer to designated national security judge)
Stand News, July 20, 2021

Chan kin-man, co-founder of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy Occupy movement, opts for Taiwan ‘retreat’
Hong Kong Free Press, July 20, 2021

US wanted Britain to ‘restrain’ Hong Kong opposition leader Martin Lee from holding 1997 handover protest, declassified records show
South China Morning Post, July 20, 2021

Staff at Hong Kong public broadcaster RTHK ordered not to refer to Taiwan as a country, or its leader as president
Hong Kong Free Press, July 20, 2021

Related:
【整頓港台】員工稱新聞部審查加劇 總監曾警告員工已簽聲明 可被指控不擁護政府(Staff says censorship in RTHK news department has intensified; head of news warns staff of being accused of insufficient loyalty to government)
Stand News, July 20, 2021

Now News exec. resigns, cites ‘turbulent times’ for Hong Kong media – reports
Hong Kong Free Press, July 20, 2021

理大衝突期間紅磡被捕男子暴動等罪成判囚3年9個月(31-year old man sentenced to 3 years, 9 months in prison for rioting in the 2019 PolyU siege)
Radio Television Hong Kong, July 19, 2021

【六四和平集會案】梁凱晴刑滿出獄 短髮現身未有發言 同案 8 人擬不認罪 11 月開審(Former district councilor Janelle Leung is released from jail after finishing sentence over unauthorized Tiananmen vigil in 2020)
Stand News, July 20, 2021

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam shrugs off scenes of residents leaving at airport, says city has ‘prosperous future’ ahead
South China Morning Post, July 20, 2021

民研:五項核心社會指標均不合格 學者指民主已遙不可及(On scale of 1 to 10, survey shows popular ratings of below 5 for all five core social indicators; scholar says democracy is beyond reach)
inmedia.hk, July 20, 2021

Related:
POP release the five core social indicators and latest GGPI
民研計劃最新五項核心社會指標及限聚指數
Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute, July 20, 2021

Commentary (评论)

China’s Looming Succession Crisis
Foreign Affairs, July 20, 2021

蔡霞:中共百年,恐惧变成一种特殊的凝聚力 (Cai Xia on CPC's Centennial: Fear has become an unusual cohesive force)
Radio France Internationale, July 20, 2021

中國式歧視登峰造極,「人下人」的命不如「人上人」的狗 (Extreme discrimination with Chinese characteristics: Lives of underclass humans are worth less than those of upper class people's dogs)
The News Lens, July 20, 2021

Monday, July 19, 2021

Access to Justice (司法公正)

河南维权人士李玉凤被控“寻衅滋事”一案将于本周开庭(Li Yufeng, Henan rights defender charged with "picking and provoking troubles," will be tried this week)
Radio Free Asia, July 19, 2021

Access to Information (公众知情权)

China has the most restrictions on cross-border data flows, says Washington think tank
South China Morning Post, July 19, 2021

Silenced in China: the COVID ‘truth-tellers’ and political dissent
The Conversation, July 17, 2021

Seeking China's New Narratives
China Media Project, July 16, 2021

Chinese Censors Shut Down Popular Science Social Media Accounts
Radio Free Asia, July 16, 2021

Government Accountability (政府问责)

China-US relations: Beijing threatens to deal ‘head-on’ blow after latest sanctions over Hong Kong
South China Morning Post, July 17, 2021

Related:
Companies in Hong Kong fear being crushed between China and US
Financial Times, July 19, 2021

美国及多个盟友联合声明:中国国安部雇佣犯罪分子实施恶意网络攻击(Joint statement by U.S. and allies: China’s Ministry of State Security hires criminals to carry out malicious cyberattacks)
Voice of America, July 19, 2021

Related:
The United States, Joined by Allies and Partners, Attributes Malicious Cyber Activity and Irresponsible State Behavior to the People’s Republic of China
The White House, July 19, 2021

湖北拆迁户走头无路 袭击拆迁官员致两死一重伤(In attack on demolition officials, desperate Hubei residents kill two, seriously injure one)
Radio Free Asia, July 19, 2021

ICTs and Human Rights (信息技术与人权)

China Spy Agency Blamed by US, Others of Using Contract Hackers
Voice of America, July 19, 2021

What China Expects of Businesses: Total Surrender
The New York Times, July 19, 2021

Related:
Chinese companies face uncertainty as data security hawks gain power
Financial Times, July 17, 2021

Beijing’s decision to block Tencent’s Douyu-Huya merger deal marks end of freewheeling internet era in China
South China Morning Post, July 19, 2021

Confession of jailed Chinese internet tsar goes on display in new Communist Party museum
South China Morning Post, July 17, 2021

用以色列窃听软件 监控反对派及新闻记者(Many countries use Israeli spy software to monitor dissidents, journalists)
Deutsche Welle, July 19, 2021

多间互联网企业被整改 学者指影响大惹当局忧虑(Scholars say Chinese authorities are concerned over impact of their rectifications of Internet companies)
Radio Free Asia, July 19, 2021

Hong Kong (香港)

No. of voters picking Hong Kong’s Election Committee plunges by 97% under ‘patriots only’ overhaul
Hong Kong Free Press, July 19, 2021

Hong Kong gov’t to spend HK$38m on promoting upcoming legislative polls
Hong Kong Free Press, July 19, 2021

Related:
Hong Kong electoral changes: ‘national security law, patriots’ should be publicity theme of coming Legislative Council polls
South China Morning Post, July 19, 2021

Hong Kong elections: vetting committee will weed out candidates ‘faking’ their loyalty pledges, John Lee says
South China Morning Post, July 17, 2021

Top Chinese official said to have 5 demands for Hong Kong’s national security
Hong Kong Free Press, July 16, 2021

BNO holders rush out as emergency route ends
The Standard, July 19, 2021

US business chamber fears internet censorship in Hong Kong, urges guarantees on free flow of info
Agence France-Presse, July 19, 2021

Hong Kong police to conduct anti-terror drills, may investigate people for leaving flowers at site where officer’s attacker died, chief says
South China Morning Post, July 18, 2021

HKU student union may have violated security law for thanking police attacker, says Hong Kong top cop
Hong Kong Free Press, July 19, 2021

Hong Kong protests: PolyU graduate jailed for rioting near the campus at height of 2019 unrest
South China Morning Post, July 19, 2021

Hong Kong schools prepare to include national security education in everything from English to music, physics and IT lessons
South China Morning Post, July 17, 2021

Related:
教局更新指引 每 3 年查教師刑事紀錄 新入職須簽守則注意網上言論(In updated guidelines, Education Bureau checks teachers' criminal record every three years and requires applicants to pay attention to own online comments)
Stand News, July 19, 2021

Pro-Beijing lawmaker claims hit Hong Kong TV show featuring same-sex romance violates China’s national security law
Hong Kong Free Press, July 19, 2021

National security law: Hong Kong director has sold rights to protest documentary screened at Cannes, but says he won’t leave city in spite of risks
South China Morning Post, July 16, 2021

National security law: Hong Kong Book Fair vendors double down on selling works by opposition figures despite complaints citing legislation
South China Morning Post, July 16, 2021

Related:
Hong Kong Book Fair: Two local publishers keep titles on sale despite security law complaints
Hong Kong Free Press, July 17, 2021

修訂《入境條例》 8.1 生效 保安局:「預先通報旅客資料」會以附屬法例實施(Immigration Amendment Bill takes effect on August 1; Security Bureau says "Advance Passenger Information" will be implemented as subsidiary legislation)
Stand News, July 19, 2021

now 新聞部再地震 消息指副總裁鄭麗矜請辭 員工:多方面無法與陳鐵彪合作(Now News vice president Annie Cheng resigns; staff says it's hard to work with pro-Beijing head of news Chan Tit Piu)
Stand News, July 19, 2021

Commentary (评论)

Proposed doxxing law another case of legal overreach
South China Morning Post, July 17, 2021

Reasons to be fearful of China’s data-gathering
The Guardian, July 17, 2021

Dozens of my family members have disappeared – it’s time for the world to stop denying Uyghurs’ suffering
Hong Kong Free Press, July 17, 2021

What China Expects From Businesses: Total Surrender
“听党话、跟党走”:中共想要怎样的私营企业?

The New York Times, July 19, 2021

“Tang Ping,” A New Form of Social Disobedience in China
Chinascope, July 13, 2021

In Their Own Words (引语)

Friday, July 16, 2021

Xinjiang (新疆)

What America Owes the Uyghurs
Foreign Affairs, July 16, 2021

Macao (澳门)

黃少澤直指:澳「維安法」有「局限」 港區「國安法」有非常重要的借鑒作用 (Macao Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak: Macao National Security Law has limitations; Hong Kong’s National Security Law provides a very important reference)
Aamacau Media, July 16, 2021

Access to Justice (司法公正)

China to Hand Law Enforcement Powers to Local Officials Under 'Grid' System
Radio Free Asia, July 15, 2021

Related:
中共中央 国务院关于加强基层治理体系和治理能力现代化建设的意见 (Opinion of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council on Strengthening the Modernization of the Grassroots Governance System and Governance Capacity)
State Council of the People’s Republic of China, July 11, 2021

Chinese farmer who praised lawyers during crackdown on trial
Associated Press, July 15, 2021

孙大午案开庭: 与检方就证据与法律有巨大争议(Trial of prominent Chinese farmer Sun Dawu: Huge dispute between prosecution and defense over evidence and the law)
Radio Free Asia, July 16, 2021

Access to Information (公众知情权)

In China’s publishing business, you have to duck and dive
The Economist, July 17th 2021 edition

Foreign Media Face a Trust Crisis in China
The Diplomat, July 16, 2021

China seeks to ban karaoke songs in new crackdown on music that ‘harms national unity’
South China Morning Post, July 16, 2021

How nationalism is making life harder for gay people in China
The Economist, July 17th 2021 edition

中国裁判文书网下架“敏感”裁判文书( Government repository “China Judgements Online” removes "sensitive" documents)
Radio Free Asia, July 16, 2021

Citizen Participation (公民参与)

重庆业主因车位纠纷与公安冲突 居民:防暴警察开枪镇压(Thousands of Chongqing property owners clash with police over parking disputes; residents: Riot police opened fire)
Radio Free Asia, July 16, 2021