https://www.scmp.com/rss/328711/feed Guo Rui is a China reporter covering elite politics, domestic policies, environmental protection, civil society, and social movement. She is also a documentary filmmaker, recording modern Chinese history and social issues through film. She graduated from Nankai University with a master degree in Modern Chinese History. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com For Sheng Hong, a prominent economist based in Beijing, in-person academic events and overseas trips were restricted long before the Covid-19 pandemic, and they are likely to outlive the pandemic too. As Sheng tried to host a biweekly panel discussion in the summer of 2018, the small group of scholars were expelled and forced to move twice during the half-day meeting. They ultimately wrapped up their discussion of complexity economics, a cutting-edge branch of economics, on the pavement. Later... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3205309/chinas-intellectuals-restrictions-started-long-pandemic-and-will-continue-after-covid-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3205309/chinas-intellectuals-restrictions-started-long-pandemic-and-will-continue-after-covid-over?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Jan 2023 14:30:10 +0000 Li Ziliu, the former mayor of Guangzhou who played a key role in the southern Chinese city’s transformation into a trade hub in the 1990s, died on Sunday aged 91. Li died in the city which made his name after a sudden heart attack, according to Nanfang Daily, Guangdong province’s official newspaper. On the same weekend, Guangdong officials led by Communist Party chief Huang Kunming visited a handful of the province’s party elders, including President Xi Jinping’s mother Qi Xin, who lives in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3204597/guangzhous-influential-mayor-li-ziliu-leaves-transformative-legacy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3204597/guangzhous-influential-mayor-li-ziliu-leaves-transformative-legacy?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Dec 2022 12:00:10 +0000 China has pledged to ensure stable grain supply and strengthen technological self-reliance in agricultural production, as it pushes for rural revitalisation to counter economic headwinds and weather geopolitical complications. “Ensuring a stable and safe supply of grain and important agricultural products are of the utmost importance to establish an agricultural powerhouse,” President Xi Jinping told a key annual work conference on rural issues. He also called for efforts to increase grain... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3204539/chinas-xi-jinping-repeats-call-food-security-us-rivalry-and-external-uncertainties-grow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3204539/chinas-xi-jinping-repeats-call-food-security-us-rivalry-and-external-uncertainties-grow?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Dec 2022 12:05:04 +0000 A prominent former Chinese lawmaker has died of a brain haemorrhage in a northeastern detention centre, Chinese authorities announced on Tuesday. Yu Zhigang, 49, a former member of China’s top legislature and a former vice-chancellor of the China University of Political Science and Law, the country’s top legal university, died in May while awaiting a verdict on corruption charges against him, according to the announcement. He pleaded guilty to taking 6.91 million yuan (US$976,000) in bribes in a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3203250/former-chinese-lawmaker-yu-zhigang-dies-detention-while-awaiting-corruption-verdict?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3203250/former-chinese-lawmaker-yu-zhigang-dies-detention-while-awaiting-corruption-verdict?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Dec 2022 09:30:13 +0000 A Chinese anti-corruption watchdog has launched an investigation into former national men’s soccer coach and ex-Premier League player, Li Tie. The probe comes as the Fifa World Cup games are under way in Qatar, with the Chinese national team having failed to qualify for the fifth time. A statement posted on the website of a provincial anti-corruption body in central China on Saturday said Li was under investigation for “serious violations of the law”, but did not specify his alleged offences. A... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3201103/chinas-former-football-head-coach-li-tie-under-investigation-serious-violations-law?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3201103/chinas-former-football-head-coach-li-tie-under-investigation-serious-violations-law?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Nov 2022 12:23:18 +0000 Fu Guohao, a former mainland reporter who became famous after he was assaulted by protesters at Hong Kong International Airport during the 2019 turmoil, died as “a result of depression” last year at the age of 30, his father told the South China Morning Post. Fu Chengxue announced on Thursday via Toutiao – a news app owned by ByteDance – that his son had died in October last year, more than two years after he was injured in the airport protest. “Fu Guohao, the renowned patriotic journalist who... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3200085/chinese-reporter-fu-guohao-who-was-beaten-hong-kong-protesters-2019-died-result-depression-father?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3200085/chinese-reporter-fu-guohao-who-was-beaten-hong-kong-protesters-2019-died-result-depression-father?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Nov 2022 06:26:44 +0000 Three men in Xinjiang were being investigated by police after live-streaming sites on social media were flooded with comments about Covid-19 controls, the region’s internet regulator said on Monday. The “maliciously flooded comments” were posted during a press conference held by the State Council’s Covid-19 response authorities on Saturday, according to a statement by the Xinjiang Cyberspace Administration. “People of all ethnic groups responded positively to do their best in Covid-19 control,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3199718/coronavirus-xinjiang-authorities-investigate-3-men-over-malicious-online-comments?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3199718/coronavirus-xinjiang-authorities-investigate-3-men-over-malicious-online-comments?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Nov 2022 11:46:51 +0000 Authorities in Korla, Xinjiang’s second largest city, are investigating allegations that a quarantine facility neglected a Covid-19 patient who is said to have died on November 2, after he was transferred to a hospital. The man, identified only by his family name Guo, tested positive for the virus and was sent to an isolation facility where his condition worsened, according to a social media post written by a woman claiming to be his daughter. In the post, the woman from Shenzhen in Guangdong... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3199111/dads-death-claim-after-covid-19-neglect-sparks-xinjiang-probe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3199111/dads-death-claim-after-covid-19-neglect-sparks-xinjiang-probe?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Nov 2022 07:39:14 +0000 Marcelo Duhalde,Han Huang,William Zheng,Guo Rui,Phoebe Zhang,Salina Li,Xinlu Liang,Jun Mai Marcelo Duhalde,Han Huang,William Zheng,Guo Rui,Phoebe Zhang,Salina Li,Xinlu Liang,Jun Mai https://www.scmp.com/infographics/china/society/article/3195959/chinas-communist-party-who-are-new-faces-20th-central-committee?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/infographics/china/society/article/3195959/chinas-communist-party-who-are-new-faces-20th-central-committee?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Nov 2022 02:00:14 +0000 Li Xi, Guangdong’s Communist Party chief, has taken over as the party’s anti-corruption chief after being named among the seven members of the Politburo Standing Committee. Li, who appeared alongside President Xi Jinping on Sunday when the new leadership team was unveiled, will rank as No 7 in the hierarchy. Li, 66, is originally from the landlocked northwestern province of Gansu, and has administrative experience across the nation, including the country’s main financial centre Shanghai, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3197067/seat-top-table-caps-guangdong-party-chief-li-xis-journey-across-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3197067/seat-top-table-caps-guangdong-party-chief-li-xis-journey-across-china?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Oct 2022 14:00:11 +0000 Chinese paramount leader Xi Jinping promoted four rising stars – Li Qiang, Li Xi, Ding Xuexiang and Cai Qi – to the country’s highest decision-making body, laying the foundation for his record-breaking third term and beyond. Together with veterans Wang Huning and Zhao Leji, the seven will form the new Politburo Standing Committee. The combination of experienced and fresh faces will support the president and his policies for the next five years, a period Xi described as of “unparalleled... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3196967/chinese-president-xi-jinping-looks-fresh-faces-confront-new-term-unparalleled-complexity?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3196967/chinese-president-xi-jinping-looks-fresh-faces-confront-new-term-unparalleled-complexity?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Oct 2022 15:08:00 +0000 Chinese paramount leader Xi Jinping began his unprecedented third term with a major shake-up at the top, retiring veteran Communist Party heavyweights including Li Keqiang and Wang Yang. Immediately after the close of the party’s 20th national congress on Saturday, state news agency Xinhua announced the members of the new Central Committee, which oversees the party’s 97 million members. Four members of the Politburo Standing Committee – the highest decision-making body in China – are missing... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3196911/shake-top-chinas-communist-party-xi-jinping-starts-new-term?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3196911/shake-top-chinas-communist-party-xi-jinping-starts-new-term?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Oct 2022 14:49:17 +0000 On the last day of the Communist Party’s week-long national congress, the spotlight was momentarily focused on the unexpected departure of former Chinese president Hu Jintao from the stage at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. While the exact reason for Hu’s premature exit remains unclear, footage of his confused departure was widely discussed online. A reporter for state news agency Xinhua wrote on Twitter late on Saturday that Hu’s early departure was related to his health. “Hu Jintao... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3196899/former-chinese-president-hu-jintaos-congress-exit-break-communist-party-script?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3196899/former-chinese-president-hu-jintaos-congress-exit-break-communist-party-script?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Oct 2022 12:10:44 +0000 While most of the world has moved on from coronavirus restrictions, China’s zero-Covid policy was evident both inside and outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Sunday morning. As the Communist Party elite gathered for the opening ceremony of its national congress, most of the 2,000-plus delegates wore a mask in the hall, the first time for such an event. The exceptions were the front row of top leaders led by President Xi Jinping, including the entire 25-strong Politburo and retired... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3196163/peering-behind-masks-chinas-communist-party-congress?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3196163/peering-behind-masks-chinas-communist-party-congress?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Oct 2022 17:00:13 +0000 Flanked by party leaders past and future, President Xi Jinping on Sunday took centre stage to present his grand vision for China, promising “incomparable glory” to restore the country to the forefront of global powers. This came as Xi, widely regarded as the most powerful Chinese politician since paramount leader Deng Xiaoping, delivered his work report to some 2,000 Communist Party delegates gathered in Beijing for the twice-a-decade national congress. The speech marked the beginning of a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3196167/incomparable-glory-awaits-china-world-stage-xi-jinping-tells?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3196167/incomparable-glory-awaits-china-world-stage-xi-jinping-tells?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Oct 2022 16:00:14 +0000 During China’s 20th Communist Party congress, the party’s constitution will be amended once again, a process that is expected to further elevate the status of President Xi Jinping, who is set to secure a third term as the party’s leader. The constitution, the highest level binding document for China’s ruling party, has been amended at every congress since the party’s founding in 1921 to reflect changes in direction of leadership. It is understood the process to update the document began months... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3195732/chinas-xi-jinping-further-consolidate-power-changes-communist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3195732/chinas-xi-jinping-further-consolidate-power-changes-communist?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Oct 2022 13:10:19 +0000 In a show of solidarity, President Xi Jinping and other members of the Chinese leadership attended a National Day celebration in Beijing on Friday night, one of their last public appearances before a major leadership reshuffle next month. A number of former members of the Politburo, the Communist Party’s 25-strong decision-making body, also attended the event at the Great Hall of the People but there were no retired members of the inner circle, the Standing Committee. Addressing the event,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3194393/chinas-top-leaders-appear-ceremony-honour-national-heroes-ahead?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3194393/chinas-top-leaders-appear-ceremony-honour-national-heroes-ahead?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Sep 2022 07:40:31 +0000 Top Chinese epidemiologist Wu Zunyou has revised his advisory about monkeypox prevention after his earlier comments came under fire for being “racist and discriminatory”. On his Weibo account on Saturday, Wu urged people to avoid “direct skin-to-skin contact” with foreigners or recent returnees from abroad to avoid contracting the disease. The comments drew criticism on Chinese social media where his advice was ridiculed as racist and inappropriate. The advisory came a day after China reported... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3193061/chinese-health-expert-amends-monkeypox-advisory-after-online-backlash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3193061/chinese-health-expert-amends-monkeypox-advisory-after-online-backlash?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Sep 2022 14:22:05 +0000 The United Nations report into Xinjiang, which found that the Chinese government’s actions “may constitute international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity” is likely to place further strains on the relationship between China and the West, according to diplomatic analysts. Beijing bluntly rejected the findings, which were released on Wednesday, the last day of Michelle Bachelet’s tenure as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The report, which followed Bachlet’s visit to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3190934/anti-china-plot-beijing-slams-un-human-rights-report-xinjiang?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3190934/anti-china-plot-beijing-slams-un-human-rights-report-xinjiang?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Sep 2022 05:19:53 +0000 China paid tribute to former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev on Wednesday, hailing him for his contribution to improving ties between Beijing and Moscow. “Mr Gorbachev made positive contributions to the normalisation of China-Soviet Union relations,” foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said. “We mourn his death and express our condolences to his family.” The leader of the former Soviet Union died in Moscow on Tuesday aged 91. News of Gorbachev’s death was widely reported by Chinese state... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3190896/china-offers-tributes-late-soviet-leader-mikhail-gorbachev?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3190896/china-offers-tributes-late-soviet-leader-mikhail-gorbachev?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Aug 2022 14:55:29 +0000 China’s ruling Communist Party will hold its national congress from October 16, according to state media, an event that will usher in the top leadership for the next five years. The date was set during a monthly meeting of the Politburo, the party’s decision-making body, official news agency Xinhua reported on Tuesday. Beijing tends to announce the date of key political events shortly before they take place – in this case 47 days before the twice-a-decade congress is due to begin. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3190719/chinas-communist-party-hold-twice-decade-congress-october?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3190719/chinas-communist-party-hold-twice-decade-congress-october?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Aug 2022 10:58:01 +0000 Tap here to launch the special feature https://www.scmp.com/infographics/china/article/3185759/chinas-ruling-communist-party-faces-watch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/infographics/china/article/3185759/chinas-ruling-communist-party-faces-watch?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Aug 2022 01:00:18 +0000 Tap here to launch the special feature https://www.scmp.com/infographics/china/article/3185694/chinese-communist-party-19th-central-committee-visually?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/infographics/china/article/3185694/chinese-communist-party-19th-central-committee-visually?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Aug 2022 01:00:15 +0000 In a further sign of more relaxed rules for travellers into China, the country’s civil aviation regulator has halved the suspension period for inbound flights exceeding limits for onboard Covid-19 cases. The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) issued a notice on Sunday to relax so-called circuit breaker measures that suspend international routes if the number of Covid-19 patients exceeds a case threshold. The new measure reduces the previous maximum circuit breaker period from eight to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3188158/china-further-eases-covid-19-rules-inbound-travel-halving?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3188158/china-further-eases-covid-19-rules-inbound-travel-halving?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Aug 2022 10:00:28 +0000 Xiao Yaqing, the minister who has overseen China’s drive to surpass the US in technology and manufacturing, has been placed under investigation in what may be the first surprise of the upcoming Communist Party congress. The probe was announced on Thursday by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), the country’s top anti-corruption watchdog. Xiao was placed under investigation for “suspected violations of the law and discipline”, according to the CCDI announcement. Since 2020,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3186937/chinas-anti-corruption-watchdog-investigates-minister-leading?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3186937/chinas-anti-corruption-watchdog-investigates-minister-leading?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Jul 2022 11:30:05 +0000 Shenzhen, China’s southern tech hub, said it has controlled the city’s latest Covid-19 outbreak but has not relaxed prevention measures, while a district in Wuhan has imposed a temporary lockdown. China reported 79 locally transmitted infections and 41 imported cases on Wednesday. Only one of the local cases was in Shenzhen, down from 19 a day earlier. Shenzhen also recorded three asymptomatic infections, which are not counted in the country’s official tally, while China’s central metropolis of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3186743/coronavirus-shenzhen-controls-outbreak-while-wuhan-district?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3186743/coronavirus-shenzhen-controls-outbreak-while-wuhan-district?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Jul 2022 07:16:04 +0000 China has called on France to help get its ties with Europe on a healthy track, with Foreign Minister Wang Yi affirming President Emmanuel Macron’s role as a mediator on the war in Ukraine. In a phone call with Macron’s diplomatic counsellor Emmanuel Bonne on Monday, Wang said China’s relations with France had been boosted by the president’s re-election in April. Relations between China and the EU have been overshadowed by a series of disputes on a number of issues, including alleged human... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3185823/china-praises-ukraine-mediator-macron-beijing-hopes-renew-eu?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3185823/china-praises-ukraine-mediator-macron-beijing-hopes-renew-eu?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Jul 2022 12:30:25 +0000 A city in northeastern China has highlighted the strain of Covid-19 measures on local health systems, with authorities saying debts were rising far faster than their capacity to repay them. In a statement released last week, the health commission of Huludao, Liaoning province, said the debts were mainly the result of the pandemic, with higher costs for preventive equipment and lower income from the government. “The Covid-19 outbreaks in the city this year in particular had a huge impact on the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3185164/chinese-citys-health-system-buckles-under-covid-debt-strain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3185164/chinese-citys-health-system-buckles-under-covid-debt-strain?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Jul 2022 01:00:18 +0000 Sun Lijun, China’s former police vice-minister, has pleaded guilty to taking bribes, manipulating the securities market and illegal possession of firearms. He was accused of taking bribes worth more than 646 million yuan (US$96.4 million) in exchange for business favours, government jobs and promotions, and handling criminal cases, the Changchun Intermediate People’s Court in northeastern Jilin province heard on Friday. Sun, 53, had been placed under disciplinary investigation in early 2020 and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3184676/chinas-former-police-vice-minister-sun-lijun-pleads-guilty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3184676/chinas-former-police-vice-minister-sun-lijun-pleads-guilty?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Jul 2022 13:42:13 +0000 A police officer from the force investigating a serious assault on a group of women in northern China last month has accused a local forensic investigator of falsifying reports in the past – heightening public concerns about the chance of an impartial investigation into the incident. Wang Yanhui, a policeman based in Langfang city in Hebei province, made the claims in a video that circulated widely online and accused the head of a local forensic centre of downplaying the injuries he sustained in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3183969/chinese-police-officers-false-evidence-claims-raise-fresh?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3183969/chinese-police-officers-false-evidence-claims-raise-fresh?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Jul 2022 12:30:19 +0000 China’s ruling Communist Party has grown bigger and more educated, expanding to a record 96.71 million members by the end of last year, according to official statistics. The total amounted to a 3.7 per cent increase over the year, the organisation department of the Communist Party Central Committee said on Thursday, the eve of the party’s anniversary. The party has been trying to curb its membership growth since Xi Jinping took power in 2012 and demanded a shift in party building towards... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3183669/chinas-communist-party-grows-near-97-million-its-made-younger?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3183669/chinas-communist-party-grows-near-97-million-its-made-younger?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Jun 2022 09:14:16 +0000 An online public opinion campaign for the Communist Party’s upcoming national congress has set the stage for the conclave, according to Chinese President Xi Jinping. State news agency Xinhua quoted Xi as saying the campaign was “not just an effective means for party members and the public to put forward their opinions about the country’s development and national rejuvenation but also a vivid demonstration of our whole-process democracy”. Xinhua said the month-long campaign, which ended in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3183268/xi-jinping-points-public-opinion-campaign-example-whole-process?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3183268/xi-jinping-points-public-opinion-campaign-example-whole-process?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Jun 2022 01:00:17 +0000 Ding Jiaxi, one of China’s most prominent civil rights leaders, went on trial behind closed doors on Friday on charges of state subversion. His trial was held without any of his family or supporters present, at the Linshu County People’s Court in Shandong province, eastern China. Ding’s lawyers could not be reached for comment. The legal representatives had been ordered to sign confidentiality agreements forbidding them from speaking to the media or risk severe consequences, according to Luo... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3182920/second-chinese-rights-activist-ding-jiaxi-stands-trial-state-subversion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3182920/second-chinese-rights-activist-ding-jiaxi-stands-trial-state-subversion?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Jun 2022 06:35:24 +0000 China is putting two of the country’s most prominent civil rights leaders, Xu Zhiyong and Ding Jiaxi, through closed-door state subversion trials this week amid tight security. No family members or supporters were allowed to attend Xu’s trial held in the Linshu County People’s Court in Shandong province on Wednesday morning. The activist’s legal representatives declined to comment. It is understood the lawyers have been asked to sign confidentiality agreements barring them from speaking to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3182706/chinese-rights-advocate-xu-zhiyong-trial-state-subversion-amid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3182706/chinese-rights-advocate-xu-zhiyong-trial-state-subversion-amid?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Jun 2022 16:05:23 +0000 The family of a Chinese coal magnate convicted of bribery and theft of state secrets will continue to fight for his release after he lost a court appeal on Monday, his wife said. The Beijing Higher People’s Court rejected the appeal by Zhao Faqi, 55, and upheld a 7½-year jail sentence handed down by a lower court in the city last month. In the same higher court on Monday, Wang Linqing, a former assistant judge at the Supreme People’s Court, also lost his appeal against a 14-year jail term and 1... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3182491/we-will-not-give-wife-jailed-chinese-coal-magnate-vows-push-new?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3182491/we-will-not-give-wife-jailed-chinese-coal-magnate-vows-push-new?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Jun 2022 08:00:17 +0000 A Beijing court will decide on the appeal of a coal magnate who disappeared three years ago after accusing China’s top judge of tampering with a legal case, but was convicted last month on charges of bribery and theft of state secrets, according to his wife. A verdict on Zhao Faqi’s appeal against his 7½ year sentence will be delivered by the Beijing Higher People’s Court on Monday, his wife Cathy Li said. Zhao, 55, will not appear in court, however, and the verdict will be delivered to him... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3182267/disappeared-chinese-coal-tycoon-who-took-top-judge-hear-appeal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3182267/disappeared-chinese-coal-tycoon-who-took-top-judge-hear-appeal?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Jun 2022 09:30:26 +0000 Beijing wants to develop a vast, technology-driven hub in southern China – like San Francisco’s Silicon Valley or the Tokyo Bay Area, but much bigger. The Greater Bay Area aims to link nine cities in Guangdong province, Hong Kong and Macau – an area spanning 56,000 sq km – to create an economic powerhouse by 2035. But it will need people like Amy Ng, a 36-year-old Hongkonger, to get on board. Ng has been working in Beijing for a decade and plans to move to Shenzhen next month to start a game... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3182172/greater-bay-area-can-china-integrate-its-southern-economic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3182172/greater-bay-area-can-china-integrate-its-southern-economic?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Jun 2022 06:00:32 +0000 The Communist Party of China will undergo a major leadership shake-up at its party congress in the second half of 2022. In this series, the South China Morning Post looks at what the party’s next generation of leaders might look like. China has groomed many female athletes to bring home Olympics gold and trained women astronauts for its ambitious space programme, but without a similar political pathway, the ruling Communist Party may struggle to find a woman who can fill the shoes of Sun... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3181942/who-can-fill-shoes-chinas-iron-lady-sun-chunlan-politburo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3181942/who-can-fill-shoes-chinas-iron-lady-sun-chunlan-politburo?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Jun 2022 16:00:20 +0000 President Xi Jinping is expected to consolidate his reshaping of China’s national security apparatus at the 20th party congress in the autumn, to rebuild the battered reputation of a sector that has been plagued with corruption scandals. Under Xi’s leadership, Beijing has significantly sharpened and reshaped the country’s zhengfa departments, the political and legal organs that form its security mechanisms. Observers and insiders expect the process to continue, with appointments that will... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3181515/chinas-party-congress-promotions-emphasise-political-security?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3181515/chinas-party-congress-promotions-emphasise-political-security?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Jun 2022 16:00:12 +0000 Two Chinese human rights lawyers who have been held for more than two years are expected to stand trial soon, according to friends and legal sources. The imminent trial of one of the lawyers, Xu Zhiyong, was indirectly confirmed after the Intermediate People’s Court of Linyi in Shandong province issued a notice on Monday informing Xu’s lawyer that a pre-trial meeting would be held on Friday. UN human rights chief Bachelet says no to second term, ‘not related’ to China The notice, which was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3181703/veteran-chinese-human-rights-lawyers-expected-face-trial-soon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3181703/veteran-chinese-human-rights-lawyers-expected-face-trial-soon?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Jun 2022 01:00:23 +0000 Taiwan’s health minister was among the new coronavirus cases on the island reported on Sunday as the daily tally of infections fell. The island reported 50,657 new cases and 163 deaths on Sunday, down from 79,598 cases and 211 deaths a day earlier. All but 14 of the new cases were locally transmitted. The Central Epidemic Command Centre also said Health Minister Chen Shih-chung tested positive for the virus with a rapid test. Chen will remain at home to recover. Presidential Office spokesman... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3181415/taiwans-health-minister-tests-positive-covid-new-cases-fall?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3181415/taiwans-health-minister-tests-positive-covid-new-cases-fall?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Jun 2022 11:19:43 +0000 Nine people suspected of taking part in a vicious attack on a group of women in a northern Chinese city have been formally arrested and their case handed over to police in another municipality. A group of women were beaten badly after one of them was harassed by a man and rejected him at a barbecue restaurant in Tangshan, Hebei province, late night on Friday. Two of the women required hospital treatment. Footage of the attack was posted online, igniting nationwide discussion about predatory... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3181408/chinese-police-arrest-9-men-over-attack-women-tangshan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3181408/chinese-police-arrest-9-men-over-attack-women-tangshan?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Jun 2022 09:53:41 +0000 Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has told UN envoy Michelle Bachelet that Beijing hopes her visit will help “clarify misinformation” about its human rights record. Wang met the human rights commissioner at the start of her six-day trip and blasted “some countries and anti-China forces” for spreading “false information” and “vilifying China with slanderous attacks”, according to a report by state news agency Xinhua. “Their purpose is to use human rights issues as excuses to suppress China and to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3178910/chinas-wang-yi-urges-un-rights-envoy-clarify-misinformation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3178910/chinas-wang-yi-urges-un-rights-envoy-clarify-misinformation?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 May 2022 05:46:04 +0000 Michelle Bachelet arrived in China on Monday for a six-day trip – the first to the country by a United Nations human rights commissioner since 2005. Bachelet landed in the southern city of Guangzhou and will also visit Xinjiang in the country’s northwest, according to the Chinese foreign ministry. State news agency Xinhua quoted ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin as saying that China hoped the commissioner’s visit “will further promote exchanges and cooperation between the two sides, and play an... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3178844/un-human-rights-commissioner-michelle-bachelet-lands-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3178844/un-human-rights-commissioner-michelle-bachelet-lands-china?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 May 2022 14:00:16 +0000 Michelle Bachelet will travel to China for six days next week – the first visit to the country by a United Nations human rights commissioner since 2005. China’s foreign ministry and Bachelet’s office both announced the trip on Friday. Foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said in a brief statement that Bachelet would visit from Monday to Saturday at the invitation of the Chinese government, without giving further details. According to a statement released by Bachelet’s office, she will meet a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3178585/un-human-rights-chief-visit-china-six-days-next-week?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3178585/un-human-rights-chief-visit-china-six-days-next-week?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 May 2022 14:19:03 +0000 A relative of a passenger who died on China Eastern Airlines flight 5735 on March 21 has demanded an explanation from the carrier if it is proved that black box data suggested that the plane was intentionally sent on a nosedive. The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that the flight controls of the Boeing 737-800 had pushed the plane into a dive, citing people familiar with US officials’ early assessment of the cause of the crash. All 123 passengers and nine crew died in the flight from... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3178168/flight-mu5735-crash-bereaved-relative-demands-answers-airline?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3178168/flight-mu5735-crash-bereaved-relative-demands-answers-airline?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 May 2022 05:30:48 +0000 The Chinese Communist Party has banned retired cadres from making “negative political speeches” in the run-up to a major leadership reshuffle later this year. The General Office of the Central Committee issued a set of regulations – titled Strengthening Party Building among Retired Cadres in the New Era – state news agency Xinhua reported on Sunday. The statement called for all party departments to ensure that retired cadres and party members “listen to the party and follow the party” and warned... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3177966/chinese-communist-party-warns-retired-members-not-make-negative?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3177966/chinese-communist-party-warns-retired-members-not-make-negative?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 May 2022 18:00:13 +0000 China has said it will impose tight restrictions on “non-essential” overseas travel for its citizens to help contain the worst coronavirus outbreak the country has seen in the past two years. The immigration authorities on Thursday said the curbs were designed to stop infections crossing the border and would include a more rigorous approval process for passports and other travel documents and a crackdown on illegal border crossings. ‘Big blow to students’: China’s zero-Covid effectively cancels... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3177536/china-tightens-curbs-overseas-travel-part-covid-battle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3177536/china-tightens-curbs-overseas-travel-part-covid-battle?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 May 2022 03:00:18 +0000 The southern Chinese mainland and Hong Kong are bracing for more torrential downpours, as forecasters warn the heavy rain may continue or even worsen in the coming days. Guangdong cities Shenzhen and Qingyuan were among those pounded with heavy rain on Wednesday morning, and emergency officials in Shenzhen and Guangzhou issued storm warnings hours later, saying the weather would deteriorate on Wednesday night and Thursday. In Hong Kong, forecasters also warned that the city would be battered by... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3177306/party-cadres-placed-highest-alert-southern-chinese-province?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3177306/party-cadres-placed-highest-alert-southern-chinese-province?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 May 2022 07:10:39 +0000 Two major sporting events in China have been postponed and another cancelled, with observers pointing to concerns about Covid-19 in the run-up to the Communist Party’s national congress. The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) said on Friday that the 2022 Asian Games scheduled to be held in Hangzhou in September would be postponed. “The Olympic Council of Asia has announced that the 19th Asian Games, originally scheduled to be held in Hangzhou, China from September 10 to 25, 2022, will be postponed,”... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3176753/2022-asian-games-postponed-chinese-state-media-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3176753/2022-asian-games-postponed-chinese-state-media-report?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 May 2022 06:10:50 +0000