Tag: Press freedom

China Jails Iconic Blogger Who Helped Others Evade Censorship

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washington —  For those who followed the blog Program Think, it was little surprise that the China critic behind it had evaded authorities for over a decade. Ruan Xiaohuan was just that good, and over time he became an icon, say those who followed his work. “He’s a legend. He’s very famous among Chinese internet users who care about internet freedom,” said Yaqiu Wang, a researcher at Human Rights Watch. “He was the epitome of internet savviness. But in the end, the government still got him.” After 12 years and…

Two in Hong Kong Arrested for Possessing ‘Seditious’ Children’s Books

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Two Hong Kong men have been arrested by national security police for merely possessing what the authorities say are “seditious” children’s books — the latest in a slew of arrests over the past week that have caused widespread unease across the city. Police said two men, aged 38 and 50, were arrested this week in a joint operation with customs officers who raided their homes and offices and found copies of the comic books that allegedly “incited hatred or contempt” against the Chinese and Hong Kong governments and the judiciary.…

Publisher Behind Xi Biography Released From China Prison

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A Hong Kong-based publisher who was arrested while preparing to release an unauthorized biography of Chinese leader Xi Jinping has been freed after serving a 10-year sentence in a south China prison. The respected San Francisco-based rights monitoring group Dui Hua reported Thursday that Yao Wentian, 83, was released February 26 and returned to his family in Hong Kong the next day. Yao was arrested in October 2013 and served his entire sentence apart from an eight-month term reduction in Dongguan prison near the border with the semi-autonomous Chinese city.…

Reuters Reporters’ Online Accounts Faked to Approach China Activists

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HONG KONG —  Two Reuters journalists had their identities faked by an unknown person or people who then used sham social media accounts to engage with Chinese activists on several online platforms over several months. The false representations of the two journalists, Shanghai bureau chief Brenda Goh and Hong Kong-based correspondent Jessie Pang, starting in late November, appeared on platforms including Instagram and the Telegram message app. The impersonator or impersonators were seeking information about a group linked to protests the same month against China’s strict COVID-19 controls, according to…

China should scrap ‘picking quarrels’ crime, says leading lawyer

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China should abolish the catch-all crime of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble”, a political delegate has proposed before next week’s major Two Sessions legislative meeting. Zhu Zhengfu, a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) advisory body, said the law risked undermining China’s legal system and was open to “selective enforcement” by authorities, according to state media. “Picking quarrels and provoking trouble” is a broadly defined crime that is applied widely in China against dissidents, media workers, lawyers and activists. The broad accusation is frequently used by authorities…

Research: Deepfake ‘News Anchors’ in Pro-China Footage

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Washington —  The “news broadcasters” appear stunningly real, but they are AI-generated deepfakes in first-of-their-kind propaganda videos that a research report published Tuesday attributed to Chinese state-aligned actors. The fake anchors — for a fictitious news outlet called Wolf News — were created by artificial intelligence software and appeared in footage on social media that seemed to promote the interests of the Chinese Communist Party, U.S.-based research firm Graphika said in its report. “This is the first time we’ve seen a state-aligned operation use AI-generated video footage of a fictitious…

Taiwan Broadcaster Aims to Fill Gaps in Coverage

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It may be a relative newcomer to Taiwan’s media scene, but broadcaster TaiwanPlus has quickly established itself as a voice for the island. The state-affiliated broadcaster launched nearly 18 months ago and is already “filling the blank” for credible English-language content for Taiwan, analysts say. Its arrival comes as China is pushing its influence into Taiwan’s media environment. Starting as an online streaming platform — publishing news on a website, a news app and via social media — TaiwanPlus has seen quick success, attracting over half a million social media…

Trolling of Female Asian Journalists on Rise as Beijing Seeks to Discredit Media

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WASHINGTON —  Increased harassment over the past year directed at journalists and analysts who are women and of Asian descent is likely the result of an orchestrated campaign by the Chinese government, research by a think tank shows. Harassment largely played out on Twitter and ranged from insults about an individual’s appearance to accusations of being a traitor or threats of violence and rape. The aim of the abuse is to silence the women and discredit their critical coverage of China according to the non-partisan Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI).…

National Security Provision in Iconic Press Club’s Lease Concerns Some Members in Hong Kong

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Since 1949, Hong Kong’s Foreign Correspondents’ Club has offered a refuge to international journalists: offering talks, exhibitions, or just a place to relax and chat with others in the trade. But its lease renewal has some questioning whether the club — which historically defends free press principles — can survive in Hong Kong. Since 1982, the club has been located in the city’s business district, where it leases from the government a converted 19th century brick building that is now dwarfed by towering skyscrapers. But when it came time to…

Hong Kong Publisher’s Security Trial Further Delayed

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Hong Kong —  The national security trial of a Hong Kong pro-democracy publisher was further postponed Tuesday to next September as the city awaits Beijing’s ruling that could effectively block him from hiring a British defense lawyer. Jimmy Lai, who was arrested in August 2020 during a crackdown on the city’s pro-democracy movement, is fighting charges of endangering national security. The 75-year-old founder of the now-defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily faces up to life in prison if convicted under a sweeping National Security Law imposed by Beijing. His high-profile trial,…