His wife received confirmation that he is alive. Wang Quanzhang was arrested in 2015 as part of the government’s crackdown against human rights lawyers, the so-called "709 group". Since then, nothing had been heard of him.
China has a list of 14 sites it wants UNESCO to recognise, including the Mao mausoleum, Tiananmen Square and the Monument to the People's Heroes. For one activist, these sites are unsuitable because of their strong political associations. “Is the body of Mao Zedong the common cultural property of mankind?” he wonders.
The authorities are stifling protests against mining in Yulshul. Locals complain that the reported road building is actually mining and are afraid that it will pollute and devastate the environment. Protesters also complain about the corruption associated with the operations.
All the data of the faithful must be filed, no external lights in places of worship, minors banned from entering church and the obligation to sing the Chinese anthem at every celebration. Every Sunday the police guards the entrances of the churches. 10% of Chinese Catholics live in Henan Province. The repression and control of Catholics in China increased this year.
The 64-year-old activist has already served 22 years in prison. The dissident was formally condemned for the first time only in 1998, on charges of having founded the China democracy party. He is a leading exponent of pro-democracy movements. The sentence was announced the day after the release of Liu Xia.
Lawyers have been arrested, tortured, humiliated and forced to deny their work on television. Three years ago, Chinese authorities began a crackdown on lawyers and human rights activists. Some 300 professionals have been arrested. Nothing is known about some of them, like Wang Quanzhang. The crackdown on 9 July 2015 is the most serious violation of the rule of law, which China claims to respect.
In a surprise move China exits the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation. The pact aims to reduce emissions from international flights. Environmentalists say that the presence of China and the United States in the pact is fundamental.
Shanghai opens down, closes one of the worst days since February 2016 after US tariffs kick in. Paper producers, port operators and airlines suffer the most.
Experts highlight that many US brands in China are co-managed by local companies. Beijing's idea of boycotting US brands could hurt the local economy. In addition to the duties, Xi Jinping looks at hampering American companies business on Chinese soil. "No US product sold in China, or a US company investing in China, can be considered safe from retaliation."
Chinese activists are concerned about the fate of a young woman missing since yesterday after she splashed ink on a poster of Chinese President Xi Jinping. Her Twitter account has been deleted and nothing has been heard from her since.
New guidelines are set for the People's Liberation Army. "The lessons of history teach us that strong military might is important for a country to grow from being big to being strong,” defence paper says. China is getting ready to take over America’s leadership but remains concerned that the “Thucydides Trap" will lead to military confrontation with the United States.
Children whose parents are locked up in re-education camps are separated from their families and placed in orphanages, sometimes far from relatives, elsewhere in China. Conditions in certain facilities are “terrible". Meanwhile, China’s crackdown and forced deportation of Uyghurs continue.
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