I assume you are a China watcher and already know the Southern Weekend (also translated as the Southern Weekly) incident that’s been raging on for the last couple of days. If you are not, you’ll find out here. Either way, I want to place the incident in the larger picture. China doesn’t have an independent press – we all know that. The Sout [...] Keep reading »

Zhu Chengzhi  (朱承志)’s offense has to do with the death of Li Wangyang (李旺阳), a labor movement leader during the June 4th movement in 1989 who had served two prison terms totaling 21 years. In the morning of June 6th this year, while receiving treatment for heart disease and diabetes in a local hospital in Shaoyang, Hunan (湖南� [...] Keep reading »

By Xu Zhiyong Earlier this month, the New York Times published an essay by Dr. Xu Zhiyong (许志永) titled Tibet Is Burning. It was a pared-down version of the following translation that I did. Dr. Xu is the founder of Gongmeng (公盟), or Open Constitution Initiative, a NGO based in Beijing that provides legal assistance to the disempowered an [...] Keep reading »

(Tom is unable to post his piece at the moment. Yaxue substitutes.) Xi Jinping created quite a stir with his recent trip to Guangdong province, which has been seen by many as a demonstration of his determination to continue with (economic) Reform and Opening up. On this trip he impressed many by proceeding in a much less flashy fashion than most ex [...] Keep reading »

In March 2011, the German-based Chinese artist Meng Huang (孟煌) shipped a chair via DHL to Liu Xiaobo, recipient of 2010 Nobel Peace Prize serving an 11-year term in Jinzhou Prison in China. According to online tracking, the chair disappeared after it had entered China. Meng believes the Chinese authorities impounded it. This year Chinese writer [...] Keep reading »

By Wang Shuping Dr. Wang Shuping writes on World Aids Day. I’m please to translate, and publish, her piece here. — Yaxue I am Wang Shuping, and, as a doctor and epidemics researcher, I was the one who first discovered Hepatitis C virus and HIV contamination in plasma collection stations mushroomed in China in the 1990s. Hundreds of th [...] Keep reading »

This is a Weibo post by Si Weijiang (斯伟江), a high-profile Chinese defense lawyer based in Shanghai. A lot is being said in 127 characters. –Yaxue From the beginning, China’s criminal defense lawyers were merely the lasting party whom the Police, the Prosecution and the Court pulled in when the three had sat down for a Mah-Jong game [...] Keep reading »

For the last month, there has been a raging debate over child abuse. It started when Yan Yanhong posted pictures of herself abusing her own kindergarten students; the pictures were taken by her co-worker, Tong Qingqing. She picked her students up by the ears, put children upside-down in garbage cans, and taped their mouths shut for “being dis [...] Keep reading »

With China’s latest round of promotions, we have a chance to get an updated perspective on what is valued by the CPC, instead of relying on the claims from state media that the Party is looking to improve reforms and protect human rights. Within the top 7 it is clear that as long as you are a Han male, in your late 50’s or early 60̵ [...] Keep reading »