HRIC Weekly Brief
July 28, 2026
Top News 头条
On Monday, former Hong Kong opposition leader Wu Chi-wai was granted leave to stay in the United Kingdom for six months, as the government revoked their one-week limit that was issued after Wu was briefly detained at the border last Wednesday. Wu was released from prison in June after serving a sentence under Hong Kong’s national security law, and had traveled to the U.K. to reunite with his family. International organizations expressed serious concern over his case, and the situation of Hong Kongers in Britain more generally, many of whom fled Hong Kong due to concerns of persecution and lack of human rights protections.
Last week, Chan Ho-hin, a 23-year-old Hong Kong resident, was sentenced to two years and four months’ imprisonment for putting up posters promoting Taiwan-based Revive the Republic of China Freedom Party on social media platforms, including the slogan “liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times” and distributing application forms to join the group. The court refused to treat his mental condition as a mitigating factor, stating that “national security risks [should not be treated] lightly.” Leung Kai-lok, an 18-year-old Hong Kong resident, was convicted of sedition after writing anti-government slogans—including “Bomb Lee Ka-chiu to death” and the protest slogan “Liberate Hong Kong, Revolution of Our Times”—on the walls of a commercial building bathroom on three occasions. And air conditioning repairman Wong Kin-kwok received a two-month suspended jail sentence after sharing a Facebook post by an overseas activist Alan Keung calling for a boycott of the Legislative Council elections. Under Hong Kong law, inciting others not to vote during an election period is an offense under the Elections (Corrupt and Illegal Conduct) Ordinance. In sentencing Wong, the judge stated that “the government had invested significant resources in the election and that it should not have been interfered with.”
Law & Policy 法律与政策
Ctrip Fined RMB 10 Million for Illegally Exporting Personal Data – Lessons for Foreign Companies: The Shanghai Cyberspace Administration has fined the Chinese branch of a travel company a record RMB 10 Million ($1.4 million USD) for “fail[ing] to implement data export security assessment requirements and illegally export[ing] personal information.” The company’s actions have violated China’s Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL), and the ensuing hefty fine suggests Beijing is ramping up enforcement around cross-border data transfer rules.
Sexual offences reform: Why Hong Kong needs a law against persistent child abuse: An upcoming consultation for Hong Kong’s reform of sexual offenses is set to introduce clearer language and necessary reforms. Children’s rights activists have also suggested creating more protections for child witnesses as well as including a “persistent child sexual abuse” offense which would penalize abuse that spans over years rather than single incidents.
Senior Chinese leader calls for full implementation of ethnic unity law during Tibet visit: Shortly after China’s Ethnic Unity Law came into force, a senior CCP official has urged local authorities in Tibet to carry out its provisions, including aligning Tibetan Buddhism with Beijing priorities and further adopting socialist values.
Cyber Security & Digital Rights 网络安全与数字权利
HRIC on Twitter/X: A Deepseek investor meeting memo shines a light on the long-standing controversy over evading export controls. It quotes founder Liang Wenfeng openly admitting that his company purchases large amounts of restricted and non-compliant chips. Equally noteworthy is that this meeting urged investors not to leak specific numbers or details and prohibited screen recordings or external sharing.
Translations: On Foreign and Domestic Media and “Man-Made Problems Lurking Behind Natural Disasters”: As China braces for more deadly storms following twin typhoons Bavi and Maysak this month, online news about these tragedies, mainly those which highlight government failings such as inadequate disaster-prevention and disaster-relief efforts as well as inaccurate reporting on the injuries and deaths taking place, have been suspiciously taken down.
White House accuses China’s Moonshot of stealing Anthropic AI: The director of the U.S. White House Office of Science and Technology Policy has claimed that Moonshot AI “distilled” Anthropic’s Fable to develop its K3 model at a scale that may warrant sanctions.
Recent Incident Highlights Use of Chinese Parts in Biometric Equipment in Police, Coast Guard, and Customs: The Taiwanese government has been using Chinese-manufactured technology for matters which relate to national security. DPP Legislator Lin Chun-hsia has suggested that “designated government agencies should not be allowed to decide on purchases of equipment that store biometric or other sensitive data.”
Diaspora Community & Transnational Repression 海外社群和跨国镇压
HRIC on Twitter/X: Executive Director of Human Rights in China, Zhou Fengsuo, sat down for an exclusive interview to share his perspective as a firsthand participant in the 1989 Tiananmen student movement and longstanding human rights advocate. He reflects on the memories of June Fourth, dissects surveillance and transnational repression in the age of artificial intelligence, and shares his thoughts on the future of democracy in China.
Related: Exclusive Interview: Zhou Fengsuo on Tiananmen, AI Surveillance, and China’s Democratic Future.
Germany has deported a Uyghur man to China, his mother says: 21-year-old Arafat Adil was taken into custody after being denied asylum in Germany and deported to Beijing. Uyghur rights activists have voiced their concerns for this and similar cases due to China’s ongoing human rights abuses in Xinjiang.
From prison fears to fireworks, Chinese pastor recounts sudden release after Trump’s intervention: Ezra Jin Mingri describes his sudden freedom after 10 months in a detention center as “unimaginable” and a “miracle.” Following a US presidential request, Chinese authorities released Jin without requiring a forced confession, simply dropping all charges. This marks an uncommon win for Christian pastors facing persecution for running unregistered churches in China, and Jin vowed to continue fighting for those still imprisoned.
‘A statement of freedom’: T-shirt slogan goes viral and book sales rocket in Taiwan after Hong Kong raids: Photos of employee of “Have a Nice Stay” bookstore being escorted away by police for allegedly “displaying and selling publications with seditious content” in a shirt which simply reads “I am a bookstore employee” has gone viral across Taiwanese social media, raising awareness of the crackdowns on independent bookstores in Hong Kong.
Nepal warned to ensure no China-criticisms during upcoming int’l Tibetan studies seminar: The Chinese ambassador in Nepal has told Nepal’s Foreign Secretary to “ensure there will be no perceived China-criticisms by scholars” during an international seminar taking place in Kathmandu. This follows the recently adopted Chinese Ethnic Unity Law, which seeks to silence dissent regarding its assimilation practices both within and outside China’s borders.
The Tibetan Youth Congress protested in front of the Chinese Consulate in New York, demanding an end to the policy of Tibetan genocide.: More protests have arisen since activist Lobga Rangzen self-immolated in protest of China’s occupation of Tibet. At the Chinese Consulate in New York, individuals handed out leaflets stating “CHINA OUT OF TIBET,” chanted slogans such as “Justice for Lobsang Rinchen,” and called for China to end its human rights abuses and repression in Tibet.
Related: British police are investigating allegations that Chinese embassy staff in London used a stun gun to intimidate Tibetan protesters. During an evening candlelight vigil in honor of Lobga Rangzen, Chinese embassy staff allegedly pointed illegal stun guns at attendees. Human rights groups have deemed this incident as one of many examples of transnational repression by China against overseas dissidents.
Related: The Tibetan Youth Congress is on hunger strike, calling on the international community to address the demands of self-immolating Tibetans and hold the Chinese Communist Party accountable. A Tibetan exile group launched a 24-hour hunger strike in northern India primarily to commemorate the death of Lobga Rangzen, protest China’s controversial Ethnic Unity Law, and to demand the location of Panchen Lama. The strike is set to be replicated across the world in 20 additional countries.
Related: TYC to open dedicated office in New York to counter Chinese disinformation on martyr Lobga Rangzen.
Human Rights Defenders & Civil Society 人权捍卫者与公民社会
HRIC on Twitter/X: On May 17, 2019, a video of Chinese lawyer Wu Shaoping being forcibly removed from a courtroom was posted by the Yinchuan Intermediate People’s Court in Ningxia. According to Sound of Hope, the hearing took place on February 14, 2019, in the case of Luan Ning, a Falun Gong practitioner. Wu Shaoping represented him and argued for his acquittal, but was removed from the courtroom before he could complete his defense. Wu Shaoping is now in the United States awaiting his asylum hearing, and was released from ICE custody on bond last Friday.
Four Uyghur women, including a mother and her two daughters, were arrested in Xinjiang for sending supplies to relatives in Türkiye.: Police in Urumqi, Xinjiang questioned and then arrested the mother and three sisters of Guzelnur Kamil, an ethnic Uyghur living in Türkiye, after they sent their family member ordinary living supplies, such as “clothes, shoes, hats, daily necessities, seasonings and packaged food.” Türkiye is one of 26 countries that the Chinese government reportedly classifies as “sensitive,” subjecting contacts and shipments involving those countries to heightened scrutiny.
Hong Kong court to rule on alleged illegal firing of ex-Wall St Journal reporter in Sept: A Hong Kong court adjourned the case of a former Wall Street Journal employee Selina Cheng, who had privately prosecuted Dow Jones for her alleged unlawful dismissal from work. She argued that her supervisor and the company’s human resources director terminated her employment because she was elected chair of the Hong Kong Journalists Association. The defense maintained that neither individual acted under the “directing mind and will” of the company.
Local logistics firm’s Taiwan branch says it will not ship ‘prohibited books’ to Hong Kong – report: Jaguar Logistics’ Taiwan branch announced that it will no longer ship “prohibited books” or deliver publications to bookstores under government investigation in Hong Kong. The decision followed raids by Hong Kong authorities on Greenfield Bookstore and Have a Nice Stay, where employees were arrested on suspicion of selling seditious publications. Jaguar Logistics denied that the Hong Kong government had instructed it to adopt the policy, saying the measure was taken solely out of “caution.”
China’s Reach & Internal Control 中国: 内控与外扩
China imposes heavy security, tightens surveillance in Lobga Rangzen’s hometown: After Tibetan activist Lobga Rangzen set himself on fire in front of the UN Headquarters in New York, the Chinese authorities imposed sweeping security measures in his hometown, the Lower Zako region in Ganzi (Kardze) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Kham. Sources told Phayul that they have been unable to visit or contact his family, who are reportedly being closely guarded by China’s national security police.
Chinese authorities set to demolish 1,060 dwellings of monks and nuns in Larung Gar: The Tibet Post reports that the Chinese government is set to demolish 1,060 dwellings belonging to monks and nuns at Larung Gar, the world’s largest Tibetan Buddhist Institute, following the enactment of China’s new Law on Ethnic Unity and Progress. Demolitions reportedly started on July 13, with many carried out at night to avoid media coverage and public demonstrations. Larung Gar Buddhist Academy has been subject to forced eviction and demolitions by the Chinese authorities since 2001. These efforts culminated in 2016, when around 5,000 monks and nuns were expelled from the area and a similar number of residential dwellings were demolished.
Police officers conduct searches on 7th anniversary of 2019 Yuen Long mob attack: On July 21, the seventh anniversary of 2019 Yuen Long mob attack, police officers searched people at Yuen Long MTR station. Several individuals who gathered to commemorate the anniversary wore T-shirts or displayed slogans criticizing the authorities and were subsequently searched by police.
China restricts exports to 14 EU entities citing national security concerns: In response to the European Union’s export restrictions on 51 Chinese entities accused of supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine, China imposed export controls on 14 EU companies, banning the export of dual-use goods while citing national security concerns.
Why Has China Targeted Educators with Sponsored Trips to Xinjiang?: China has reportedly organized heavily subsidized trips to Xinjiang for Taiwanese educators as part of broader United Front outreach efforts, aiming to influence teachers who could later shape students’ perceptions of China. Under the program, participating educators spend a week in Xinjiang on a fully funded trip.
To prevent large-scale gatherings of Tibetans, the Chinese Communist Party forcibly canceled the traditional Buddhist ceremony in Bar County, Tibet: The annual Snowland Mani Prayer Festival at Senchi Monastery in Bar County, Tibet, was reportedly cancelled by the monastery’s management due to pressure from the Chinese Communist Party. The festival is significant as it brings together a large number of Tibetan Buddhists for religious observance.
International Responses 国际反应
HRIC on Twitter/X: On July 22, U.S. Senators Rick Scott and Marsha Blackburn introduced the “Honoring the Victims of Communist China’s Tyranny Act,” proposing the establishment of a permanent monument in a park in Washington, D.C., directly across the street from the Chinese Embassy. According to the press release from the bill’s sponsors, the memorial facility aims to honor those who have perished due to persecution under CCP rule since the Mao era.