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: Imprisoned
In 2017, Guizhou University fired professor Yang over his “politically sensitive” academic writings. In June 2021, Yang was charged with “inciting subversion of state power” and detained after disappearing in May. Yang reported being tortured during his imprisonment. Yang was…
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Status: Imprisoned
Gulnisa Imin, a Uyghur literature teacher and poet, was known for her writings on Uyghur culture. In March 2018, on the 345th night of her poetry project “One Thousand and One Nights,” she disappeared. In December 2021, reports emerged revealing…
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Status: Detained
During a sweep of arrests at the Uyghur-run Kashgar Publishing House, Ömer, a retired editor-in-chief, was arrested for his involvement in publishing books deemed “problematic” by the Chinese government due to their “improper” political content. His health significantly deteriorated after…
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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