Hotznplotzn

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/56227691

Archived

[...]

The world’s second-largest economy is becoming increasingly bifurcated with exports and manufacturing, especially in high-tech sectors linked to artificial intelligence, continuing to underpin growth, while property, consumer spending and investment remained weak.

Economists describe this widening divergence as a “K-shaped” economy, with some cautioning that the stronger, export-driven segment may not be broad enough to offset the persistent weakness across the rest of the economy.

[...]

AI-related products such as chips, computers and power equipment were among the biggest contributors to China’s export growth.

[...]

Rising external risks, sluggish domestic demand, a weak labour market and a prolonged property market downturn have continued to weigh on the economy.

[...]

Fixed-asset investment is a key gauge of spending on long-term assets like infrastructure and property, and is widely viewed as an indicator of business confidence and future economic activity.

The property sector remained a major drag on growth as real estate investment dropped 18 per cent in the first half of the year compared with 2025, extending a prolonged downturn that has weighed on consumer confidence and strained local government finances despite some pockets of improvement in the larger Chinese cities.

[...]

Archived

[...]

The world’s second-largest economy is becoming increasingly bifurcated with exports and manufacturing, especially in high-tech sectors linked to artificial intelligence, continuing to underpin growth, while property, consumer spending and investment remained weak.

Economists describe this widening divergence as a “K-shaped” economy, with some cautioning that the stronger, export-driven segment may not be broad enough to offset the persistent weakness across the rest of the economy.

[...]

AI-related products such as chips, computers and power equipment were among the biggest contributors to China’s export growth.

[...]

Rising external risks, sluggish domestic demand, a weak labour market and a prolonged property market downturn have continued to weigh on the economy.

[...]

Fixed-asset investment is a key gauge of spending on long-term assets like infrastructure and property, and is widely viewed as an indicator of business confidence and future economic activity.

The property sector remained a major drag on growth as real estate investment dropped 18 per cent in the first half of the year compared with 2025, extending a prolonged downturn that has weighed on consumer confidence and strained local government finances despite some pockets of improvement in the larger Chinese cities.

[...]

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/56227116

Archived

At a conference dedicated to examining China’s growing global influence, one of the most memorable moments did not come from a policy debate or a keynote presentation. It came from an apology.

[...] Last week, Taiwan-based non-governmental think tank Doublethink Lab hosted its third annual China in the World Summit, bringing together more than 200 participants from Asia, Europe, Africa and Latin America. The gathering convened researchers, journalists, policymakers, civil society leaders and activists — including Tibetans, Hong Kongers, Uighurs and Chinese dissidents — to discuss the global reach of the Chinese Communist Party’s influence and the challenges it poses to democratic societies.

[...]

One of the summit’s featured speakers was the prominent Chinese dissident known online as Teacher Li Is Not Your Teacher (李老師不是你老師). His X account, followed by more than 2 million people, has become one of the most influential Chinese-language platforms documenting protests, censorship and dissent inside China. The summit also marked the first time Teacher Li stepped out from behind his online identity to speak publicly before an international audience.

[...]

During the Q&A session, a Tibetan participant [thanked Teacher Li and] expressed her gratitude not only because of Teacher Li’s enormous audience, but also because many of his followers are Chinese living under one of the world’s most restrictive censorship systems. In an information environment where Tibet is largely portrayed through official state narratives, every independent account has the potential to broaden public understanding.

[...]

Teacher Li apologized to the Tibetan participant and, by extension, to the Tibetan people. He admitted that while growing up in China, he knew almost nothing about Tibet or the Uighurs, because information about their histories, cultures and experiences of repression had been systematically suppressed. Now, with access to information beyond China’s censorship system, he said he believes remaining silent about Tibet would itself be an injustice.

[...]

For Tibetans, whose voices have long struggled to reach Chinese audiences because of pervasive censorship, Teacher Li’s willingness to use his platform represents more than an act of solidarity. It demonstrates that independent Chinese voices can help bridge decades of misunderstanding created by state propaganda. In an era marked by repression and polarization, admitting past ignorance can become the first step toward mutual understanding.

Teacher Li’s apology did not resolve decades of mistrust or erase the effects of a dictatorial regime. For a brief moment, it showed what becomes possible when someone is willing to confront the limits of their own understanding. In that exchange between a Chinese dissident and a Tibetan participant, the summit offered something more enduring than a policy debate: a glimpse of solidarity built on truth rather than silence.

[...]

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/56227116

Archived

At a conference dedicated to examining China’s growing global influence, one of the most memorable moments did not come from a policy debate or a keynote presentation. It came from an apology.

[...] Last week, Taiwan-based non-governmental think tank Doublethink Lab hosted its third annual China in the World Summit, bringing together more than 200 participants from Asia, Europe, Africa and Latin America. The gathering convened researchers, journalists, policymakers, civil society leaders and activists — including Tibetans, Hong Kongers, Uighurs and Chinese dissidents — to discuss the global reach of the Chinese Communist Party’s influence and the challenges it poses to democratic societies.

[...]

One of the summit’s featured speakers was the prominent Chinese dissident known online as Teacher Li Is Not Your Teacher (李老師不是你老師). His X account, followed by more than 2 million people, has become one of the most influential Chinese-language platforms documenting protests, censorship and dissent inside China. The summit also marked the first time Teacher Li stepped out from behind his online identity to speak publicly before an international audience.

[...]

During the Q&A session, a Tibetan participant [thanked Teacher Li and] expressed her gratitude not only because of Teacher Li’s enormous audience, but also because many of his followers are Chinese living under one of the world’s most restrictive censorship systems. In an information environment where Tibet is largely portrayed through official state narratives, every independent account has the potential to broaden public understanding.

[...]

Teacher Li apologized to the Tibetan participant and, by extension, to the Tibetan people. He admitted that while growing up in China, he knew almost nothing about Tibet or the Uighurs, because information about their histories, cultures and experiences of repression had been systematically suppressed. Now, with access to information beyond China’s censorship system, he said he believes remaining silent about Tibet would itself be an injustice.

[...]

For Tibetans, whose voices have long struggled to reach Chinese audiences because of pervasive censorship, Teacher Li’s willingness to use his platform represents more than an act of solidarity. It demonstrates that independent Chinese voices can help bridge decades of misunderstanding created by state propaganda. In an era marked by repression and polarization, admitting past ignorance can become the first step toward mutual understanding.

Teacher Li’s apology did not resolve decades of mistrust or erase the effects of a dictatorial regime. For a brief moment, it showed what becomes possible when someone is willing to confront the limits of their own understanding. In that exchange between a Chinese dissident and a Tibetan participant, the summit offered something more enduring than a policy debate: a glimpse of solidarity built on truth rather than silence.

[...]

Archived

At a conference dedicated to examining China’s growing global influence, one of the most memorable moments did not come from a policy debate or a keynote presentation. It came from an apology.

[...] Last week, Taiwan-based non-governmental think tank Doublethink Lab hosted its third annual China in the World Summit, bringing together more than 200 participants from Asia, Europe, Africa and Latin America. The gathering convened researchers, journalists, policymakers, civil society leaders and activists — including Tibetans, Hong Kongers, Uighurs and Chinese dissidents — to discuss the global reach of the Chinese Communist Party’s influence and the challenges it poses to democratic societies.

[...]

One of the summit’s featured speakers was the prominent Chinese dissident known online as Teacher Li Is Not Your Teacher (李老師不是你老師). His X account, followed by more than 2 million people, has become one of the most influential Chinese-language platforms documenting protests, censorship and dissent inside China. The summit also marked the first time Teacher Li stepped out from behind his online identity to speak publicly before an international audience.

[...]

During the Q&A session, a Tibetan participant [thanked Teacher Li and] expressed her gratitude not only because of Teacher Li’s enormous audience, but also because many of his followers are Chinese living under one of the world’s most restrictive censorship systems. In an information environment where Tibet is largely portrayed through official state narratives, every independent account has the potential to broaden public understanding.

[...]

Teacher Li apologized to the Tibetan participant and, by extension, to the Tibetan people. He admitted that while growing up in China, he knew almost nothing about Tibet or the Uighurs, because information about their histories, cultures and experiences of repression had been systematically suppressed. Now, with access to information beyond China’s censorship system, he said he believes remaining silent about Tibet would itself be an injustice.

[...]

For Tibetans, whose voices have long struggled to reach Chinese audiences because of pervasive censorship, Teacher Li’s willingness to use his platform represents more than an act of solidarity. It demonstrates that independent Chinese voices can help bridge decades of misunderstanding created by state propaganda. In an era marked by repression and polarization, admitting past ignorance can become the first step toward mutual understanding.

Teacher Li’s apology did not resolve decades of mistrust or erase the effects of a dictatorial regime. For a brief moment, it showed what becomes possible when someone is willing to confront the limits of their own understanding. In that exchange between a Chinese dissident and a Tibetan participant, the summit offered something more enduring than a policy debate: a glimpse of solidarity built on truth rather than silence.

[...]

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/56178607

Archived

Report downloads in English (pdf) and in Chinese (pdf).

This publication is a sister report to Behind Bars: A Survey on Detention Centre Conditions in China (in English, pdf), which follows the same survey, interview and case study format to look at human rights failings in the country’s detention system.

[...]

To mark Mandela Day this weekend, Safeguard Defenders is releasing a new study that reveals exploitative working conditions, political coercion and physical and psychological abuse in China’s sprawling prison system.

Behind Bars: a survey on prison conditions in China, based on a survey of 59 former prisoners, paints a grim picture with respondents describing abuses and violations of both international law and Chinese law and regulations. Its findings should be a stark reminder for foreign governments considering security agreements or extradition arrangements with Beijing that such cooperation is incompatible with fundamental human rights principles.

Mandela Day, held on 18 July (on Nelson Mandela’s birthday) honours his life’s work fighting for social justice and human rights. The day is also an important date for prisoner rights—Mandela spent 27 years as a political prisoner in South Africa during the Apartheid years, and the key UN document on the treatment of prisoners was officially renamed the Nelson Mandela Rules in 2015.

[...]

In addition to the survey, Behind Bars also draws on a longform interview with former Australian detainee Matthew Radalj, a comparative analysis of domestic and international law and a case study of a large prison in central China that has been at the heart of recent international allegations of forced labour.

“The truth is that xxx prison is not a prison with factories, but factories with a prison,” one survey respondent wrote, adding, “ In Chinese prisons, guilty and innocent are treated just like animals, with not even basic rights.”

[...]

At a time when China’s authoritarian surveillance state has been deleting sources of public data and made it more dangerous for people to share their testimony, Behind Bars shines a light on what really goes on in Chinese prisons. It is an important addition to the body of research on the widespread rights violations perpetrated on those incarcerated in the country.

With China typically sentencing around 850,000 people to prison time every year in one of their 680+ prisons, the scale of abuse is potentially massive. Estimates put the number of people serving time in China at around 2.34 million, likely making China the country with the largest number of prisoners serving time in the world.

[...]

One respondent wrote, “I was not treated like a human being at all.”

Radalj said that when he was in solitary confinement, he was Tasered “almost on a daily basis” and that he was “chained for the entire 194 days” around his leg.

[...]

The Chinese prison system heavily emphasizes ideological education and expects prisoners to produce thought reports, such as letters of repentance, statements of confession and essays outlining support and praise for the CCP.

More than three quarters of respondents said they had to write thought reports when they were in prison. Education provided for prisoners was more often propaganda in nature and focused on CCP ideological education rather than being vocational in nature and helping them develop skills so they can find work upon release.

Prisoners who refused to write thought reports or whose written works were not deemed sufficiently “politically correct” or remorseful were typically punished, for example by not being able to apply for sentence commutation, having their shopping quota cut, the cancellation or reduction of time for a family visit or phone call and even physical punishment and/or solitary confinement. One respondent said they were denied medical attention because they did not write a confession letter.

[...]

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/56178607

Archived

Report downloads in English (pdf) and in Chinese (pdf).

This publication is a sister report to Behind Bars: A Survey on Detention Centre Conditions in China (in English, pdf), which follows the same survey, interview and case study format to look at human rights failings in the country’s detention system.

[...]

To mark Mandela Day this weekend, Safeguard Defenders is releasing a new study that reveals exploitative working conditions, political coercion and physical and psychological abuse in China’s sprawling prison system.

Behind Bars: a survey on prison conditions in China, based on a survey of 59 former prisoners, paints a grim picture with respondents describing abuses and violations of both international law and Chinese law and regulations. Its findings should be a stark reminder for foreign governments considering security agreements or extradition arrangements with Beijing that such cooperation is incompatible with fundamental human rights principles.

Mandela Day, held on 18 July (on Nelson Mandela’s birthday) honours his life’s work fighting for social justice and human rights. The day is also an important date for prisoner rights—Mandela spent 27 years as a political prisoner in South Africa during the Apartheid years, and the key UN document on the treatment of prisoners was officially renamed the Nelson Mandela Rules in 2015.

[...]

In addition to the survey, Behind Bars also draws on a longform interview with former Australian detainee Matthew Radalj, a comparative analysis of domestic and international law and a case study of a large prison in central China that has been at the heart of recent international allegations of forced labour.

“The truth is that xxx prison is not a prison with factories, but factories with a prison,” one survey respondent wrote, adding, “ In Chinese prisons, guilty and innocent are treated just like animals, with not even basic rights.”

[...]

At a time when China’s authoritarian surveillance state has been deleting sources of public data and made it more dangerous for people to share their testimony, Behind Bars shines a light on what really goes on in Chinese prisons. It is an important addition to the body of research on the widespread rights violations perpetrated on those incarcerated in the country.

With China typically sentencing around 850,000 people to prison time every year in one of their 680+ prisons, the scale of abuse is potentially massive. Estimates put the number of people serving time in China at around 2.34 million, likely making China the country with the largest number of prisoners serving time in the world.

[...]

One respondent wrote, “I was not treated like a human being at all.”

Radalj said that when he was in solitary confinement, he was Tasered “almost on a daily basis” and that he was “chained for the entire 194 days” around his leg.

[...]

The Chinese prison system heavily emphasizes ideological education and expects prisoners to produce thought reports, such as letters of repentance, statements of confession and essays outlining support and praise for the CCP.

More than three quarters of respondents said they had to write thought reports when they were in prison. Education provided for prisoners was more often propaganda in nature and focused on CCP ideological education rather than being vocational in nature and helping them develop skills so they can find work upon release.

Prisoners who refused to write thought reports or whose written works were not deemed sufficiently “politically correct” or remorseful were typically punished, for example by not being able to apply for sentence commutation, having their shopping quota cut, the cancellation or reduction of time for a family visit or phone call and even physical punishment and/or solitary confinement. One respondent said they were denied medical attention because they did not write a confession letter.

[...]

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/56178607

Archived

Report downloads in English (pdf) and in Chinese (pdf).

This publication is a sister report to Behind Bars: A Survey on Detention Centre Conditions in China (in English, pdf), which follows the same survey, interview and case study format to look at human rights failings in the country’s detention system.

[...]

To mark Mandela Day this weekend, Safeguard Defenders is releasing a new study that reveals exploitative working conditions, political coercion and physical and psychological abuse in China’s sprawling prison system.

Behind Bars: a survey on prison conditions in China, based on a survey of 59 former prisoners, paints a grim picture with respondents describing abuses and violations of both international law and Chinese law and regulations. Its findings should be a stark reminder for foreign governments considering security agreements or extradition arrangements with Beijing that such cooperation is incompatible with fundamental human rights principles.

Mandela Day, held on 18 July (on Nelson Mandela’s birthday) honours his life’s work fighting for social justice and human rights. The day is also an important date for prisoner rights—Mandela spent 27 years as a political prisoner in South Africa during the Apartheid years, and the key UN document on the treatment of prisoners was officially renamed the Nelson Mandela Rules in 2015.

[...]

In addition to the survey, Behind Bars also draws on a longform interview with former Australian detainee Matthew Radalj, a comparative analysis of domestic and international law and a case study of a large prison in central China that has been at the heart of recent international allegations of forced labour.

“The truth is that xxx prison is not a prison with factories, but factories with a prison,” one survey respondent wrote, adding, “ In Chinese prisons, guilty and innocent are treated just like animals, with not even basic rights.”

[...]

At a time when China’s authoritarian surveillance state has been deleting sources of public data and made it more dangerous for people to share their testimony, Behind Bars shines a light on what really goes on in Chinese prisons. It is an important addition to the body of research on the widespread rights violations perpetrated on those incarcerated in the country.

With China typically sentencing around 850,000 people to prison time every year in one of their 680+ prisons, the scale of abuse is potentially massive. Estimates put the number of people serving time in China at around 2.34 million, likely making China the country with the largest number of prisoners serving time in the world.

[...]

One respondent wrote, “I was not treated like a human being at all.”

Radalj said that when he was in solitary confinement, he was Tasered “almost on a daily basis” and that he was “chained for the entire 194 days” around his leg.

[...]

The Chinese prison system heavily emphasizes ideological education and expects prisoners to produce thought reports, such as letters of repentance, statements of confession and essays outlining support and praise for the CCP.

More than three quarters of respondents said they had to write thought reports when they were in prison. Education provided for prisoners was more often propaganda in nature and focused on CCP ideological education rather than being vocational in nature and helping them develop skills so they can find work upon release.

Prisoners who refused to write thought reports or whose written works were not deemed sufficiently “politically correct” or remorseful were typically punished, for example by not being able to apply for sentence commutation, having their shopping quota cut, the cancellation or reduction of time for a family visit or phone call and even physical punishment and/or solitary confinement. One respondent said they were denied medical attention because they did not write a confession letter.

[...]

Archived

Report downloads in English (pdf) and in Chinese (pdf).

This publication is a sister report to Behind Bars: A Survey on Detention Centre Conditions in China (in English, pdf), which follows the same survey, interview and case study format to look at human rights failings in the country’s detention system.

[...]

To mark Mandela Day this weekend, Safeguard Defenders is releasing a new study that reveals exploitative working conditions, political coercion and physical and psychological abuse in China’s sprawling prison system.

Behind Bars: a survey on prison conditions in China, based on a survey of 59 former prisoners, paints a grim picture with respondents describing abuses and violations of both international law and Chinese law and regulations. Its findings should be a stark reminder for foreign governments considering security agreements or extradition arrangements with Beijing that such cooperation is incompatible with fundamental human rights principles.

Mandela Day, held on 18 July (on Nelson Mandela’s birthday) honours his life’s work fighting for social justice and human rights. The day is also an important date for prisoner rights—Mandela spent 27 years as a political prisoner in South Africa during the Apartheid years, and the key UN document on the treatment of prisoners was officially renamed the Nelson Mandela Rules in 2015.

[...]

In addition to the survey, Behind Bars also draws on a longform interview with former Australian detainee Matthew Radalj, a comparative analysis of domestic and international law and a case study of a large prison in central China that has been at the heart of recent international allegations of forced labour.

“The truth is that xxx prison is not a prison with factories, but factories with a prison,” one survey respondent wrote, adding, “ In Chinese prisons, guilty and innocent are treated just like animals, with not even basic rights.”

[...]

At a time when China’s authoritarian surveillance state has been deleting sources of public data and made it more dangerous for people to share their testimony, Behind Bars shines a light on what really goes on in Chinese prisons. It is an important addition to the body of research on the widespread rights violations perpetrated on those incarcerated in the country.

With China typically sentencing around 850,000 people to prison time every year in one of their 680+ prisons, the scale of abuse is potentially massive. Estimates put the number of people serving time in China at around 2.34 million, likely making China the country with the largest number of prisoners serving time in the world.

[...]

One respondent wrote, “I was not treated like a human being at all.”

Radalj said that when he was in solitary confinement, he was Tasered “almost on a daily basis” and that he was “chained for the entire 194 days” around his leg.

[...]

The Chinese prison system heavily emphasizes ideological education and expects prisoners to produce thought reports, such as letters of repentance, statements of confession and essays outlining support and praise for the CCP.

More than three quarters of respondents said they had to write thought reports when they were in prison. Education provided for prisoners was more often propaganda in nature and focused on CCP ideological education rather than being vocational in nature and helping them develop skills so they can find work upon release.

Prisoners who refused to write thought reports or whose written works were not deemed sufficiently “politically correct” or remorseful were typically punished, for example by not being able to apply for sentence commutation, having their shopping quota cut, the cancellation or reduction of time for a family visit or phone call and even physical punishment and/or solitary confinement. One respondent said they were denied medical attention because they did not write a confession letter.

[...]

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/56177464

Archived

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and Safeguard Defenders, a human rights organization focused on China, call on Thai authorities to refrain from deporting detained prominent Chinese journalist Bai Zhaodong to China.

...

Bai Zhaodong ... exposed a large-scale corruption and financial fraud network involving money laundering and other illicit financial activities. The investigation implicated both local government officials and higher-ranking officials within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

...

Due to the nature of its findings and the senior individuals implicated, his work was regarded by the authorities as highly sensitive. Following its publication, Bai was subjected to intensified surveillance, intimidation, and sustained pressure from both regional and central government authorities, as RSF information. Throughout his career, Bai Zhaodong has been subjected to retaliatory persecution by Chinese authorities for his investigative reporting on corruption and financial fraud in Shaanxi Province, including six instances of criminal charges, interrogations and detentions.

...

As RSF’s latest report on the use of national security laws against journalists shows, the Chinese government often uses vague charges such as “espionage,” “subversion,” or “picking quarrels and provoking trouble”to charge journalists. 120 journalists are currently imprisoned in China - the biggest prison for journalists in the world as RSF data shows.

...

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/56177464

Archived

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and Safeguard Defenders, a human rights organization focused on China, call on Thai authorities to refrain from deporting detained prominent Chinese journalist Bai Zhaodong to China.

...

Bai Zhaodong ... exposed a large-scale corruption and financial fraud network involving money laundering and other illicit financial activities. The investigation implicated both local government officials and higher-ranking officials within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

...

Due to the nature of its findings and the senior individuals implicated, his work was regarded by the authorities as highly sensitive. Following its publication, Bai was subjected to intensified surveillance, intimidation, and sustained pressure from both regional and central government authorities, as RSF information. Throughout his career, Bai Zhaodong has been subjected to retaliatory persecution by Chinese authorities for his investigative reporting on corruption and financial fraud in Shaanxi Province, including six instances of criminal charges, interrogations and detentions.

...

As RSF’s latest report on the use of national security laws against journalists shows, the Chinese government often uses vague charges such as “espionage,” “subversion,” or “picking quarrels and provoking trouble”to charge journalists. 120 journalists are currently imprisoned in China - the biggest prison for journalists in the world as RSF data shows.

...

Archived

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and Safeguard Defenders, a human rights organization focused on China, call on Thai authorities to refrain from deporting detained prominent Chinese journalist Bai Zhaodong to China.

...

Bai Zhaodong ... exposed a large-scale corruption and financial fraud network involving money laundering and other illicit financial activities. The investigation implicated both local government officials and higher-ranking officials within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

...

Due to the nature of its findings and the senior individuals implicated, his work was regarded by the authorities as highly sensitive. Following its publication, Bai was subjected to intensified surveillance, intimidation, and sustained pressure from both regional and central government authorities, as RSF information. Throughout his career, Bai Zhaodong has been subjected to retaliatory persecution by Chinese authorities for his investigative reporting on corruption and financial fraud in Shaanxi Province, including six instances of criminal charges, interrogations and detentions.

...

As RSF’s latest report on the use of national security laws against journalists shows, the Chinese government often uses vague charges such as “espionage,” “subversion,” or “picking quarrels and provoking trouble”to charge journalists. 120 journalists are currently imprisoned in China - the biggest prison for journalists in the world as RSF data shows.

...