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: Released
A key figure in the Democracy Wall movement, Liu was arrested as one of the Beijing Fifteen dissidents in 1992 and sentenced to 15 years in prison for counter-revolutionary activities. He was released in November 2004, two and a half…
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Status: Disappeared
Heyit, who performs Uyghur folk songs on traditional instruments, disappeared in 2017 and was rumored to be dead. In 2019, a video was released of Heyit in custody, in which he said “I have never been abused.” Some believe it…
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Status: Imprisoned
Apple Daily publisher and opinion writer Lai was arrested in August 2020 for violating Hong Kong’s National Security Law. Released on bail a month later, Lai was soon targeted in a police raid on the paper’s office. In December 2020,…
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Status: Displaced/In Exile
Yuen rose to prominence as a member of the popular Cantopop band E-kids. Now a leading pro-democracy activist on social media and in online articles, he is known for criticizing the judicial system, policing, and the government’s response to COVID-19.…
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