China
The Chinese government is the world’s leading jailer of writers and public intellectuals. Writers, journalists, bloggers, and creative artists face censorship, harassment, imprisonment, and enforced disappearance because of their writing or creative expression.
What You Need to Know
More than 100 writers are currently behind bars on politicized charges in China. The majority were jailed for online expression that was critical of official policies or expressed pro-democracy viewpoints.
China’s leader Xi Jinping has overseen an extensive crackdown on free expression that has included attempted cultural and linguistic destruction targeting Uyghurs, Tibetans, and Mongolians and other ethnic minorities elevating to potential crimes against humanity in Xinjiang, and the crushing of civil and political rights in Hong Kong.
As China’s economic and political strength has increased, the Chinese Communist Party has also expanded its censorship apparatus overseas to try and limit expression about China beyond its borders, engage in transnational repression against exiles and the diaspora, and erode international human rights norms.
News
Individual Cases
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Status: Displaced/In Exile
Chinese-born British author Ma Jian and his books have faced government censorship since his first publication Stick Out Your Tongue in 1988. After publishing The Dark Road in 2013, a novel about the one-child policy, Ma was banned from China.…
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Status: Imprisoned
Imin, a student of Ilham Tohti, was arrested for his involvement with Tohti’s website Uyghurbiz, which promotes mutual ethnic understanding. He was sentenced to 25 years for “forming a mafia group” in a 2014 secret trial and has been held…
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Status: Imprisoned
Muhammed worked in Altay’s State Intangible Cultural Heritage Office and was arrested for gathering with friends and expressing his opinion on policies in Xinjiang in 2018. He was sentenced to life in prison for “separatism” after refusing to plead guilty…
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Status: Detained
The lead opinion writer for Apple Daily, Yeung has written over 800 editorials and opinion pieces in which he has been critical of government crackdowns on dissent. On June 23, 2021, following a police raid and forced closure of Apple…
Reports & Research
Addressing Beijing’s assault on free expression and defending human rights standards globally is a key priority.
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Writing on the Wall
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Made in Hollywood, Censored by Beijing
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Forbidden Feeds
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Splintered Speech
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Darkened Screen
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Censorship and Conscience
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Threatened Harbor
Experts
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