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
Yang served six years in prison for protesting against corruption and censorship in 2013, where he was assaulted and denied medical care. After his conditional release in August 2019, he was detained again in January 2021 while en route to…
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Status: Detained
Siyit, the deputy editor-in-chief of the Uyghur-run Kashgar Publishing House, was detained during a sweep of arrests in 2018 for his involvement in publishing books deemed “problematic” by the Chinese government for their “improper” political content. Since his detention, his…
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Status: Displaced/In Exile
Until 2019, exiled Chinese dissident cartoonist and writer, based in Australia, Badiucao used a pseudonym and wore a mask to maintain his anonymity. In 2019, he revealed his identity and Chinese authorities began threatening his relatives. In March 2025, Badiucao,…
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Status: Released
Liu, an activist who runs a website circulating information on human rights abuses, was sentenced to five years in prison and severe fines in January 2019 after his initial 2016 detention. He spent over a year in prison without access…
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