Top News 头条
Citizen journalist Xiao Wu (Feng Rui) has been missing in China since September 14. Reports indicate that he has been criminally detained by Guangzhou police on suspicion of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” but no official announcement has been made yet. Informed sources say his detention is related to organizing and compiling the report “Such Hardship, How to Rest: A Review of 2025 Labor Rights Incidents.”
In Hong Kong, the authorities continue to crack down on social media activity that appears supportive of pro-democracy movements. National security police arrested one man and one woman on October 6 over allegedly seditious social media pages, reportedly the “YellowInsurance” platform that mixed insurance promotion with pro-protest content. Sources identified the man as a licensed insurance agent and ex-localist, and the woman as a friend suspected of helping manage the accounts. Police also charged a 52-year-old man over social media posts allegedly meant to provoke hatred towards the central and Hong Kong governments and the judiciary. The case was publicly announced only after his court appearance, breaking the usual police practice of issuing a statement when charges are filed, and gave no details regarding the content of the posts.
Law & Policy 法律与政策
China’s new development plan includes AI safety goals – Xinhua: The Party Central Committee and State Council issued guidelines with 19 measures across five areas to accelerate “new quality productive forces,” including full rollout of the “AI Plus” push to spread AI across industries. They also call for technology monitoring, early risk warning and emergency response so AI is “safe, reliable and controllable,” echoing Xi’s summer remark that AI should stay “always under human control.”
USALI This Week in Asian Law: “The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security released for comment draft regulations that would give gig workers basic employment protections with respect to pay, rewards and penalties, working hours and intensity, rest periods, workplace safety, severe weather, vocational training, social insurance, personal data, and collective bargaining.”
Cyber Security & Digital Rights 网络安全与数字权利
The FBI has seized tools used by Chinese hackers for cyber operations, officials say: The FBI and Justice Department seized the scanning tool “Microscan” and phishing tool “FishHub,” used by the Flax Typhoon group, which operated through Chinese firm Integrity Technology Group. They had been used against a US power company, Japanese and Polish airports, and Taiwanese universities and critical infrastructure.
China accelerates DeepZang AI upgrades under ‘ethnic integration’ agenda: At an October 5 seminar in Hohhot, the developers of DeepZang, a Tibetan-language LLM launched in March, discussed better dialect handling, real-time Tibetan-Mandarin translation, and wider use in education, healthcare and governance. An ICT report found the model repeats official Chinese narratives on sensitive topics and restricts others, such as self-immolation protests.
Alibaba sues Pentagon to denounce being classified as a Chinese military affiliate: Alibaba has sued over its addition to the Pentagon’s Section 1260H list of Chinese military companies in June, saying the listing has “no basis in fact or law.” The Pentagon’s filing cites Alibaba’s censorship tools, joint ventures with state firms such as Norinco-linked Qianxun, and golden-share arrangements, while Alibaba says Chinese-law compliance is not military affiliation.
Trump Vowed to Wall Off TikTok From China. Did He?: Previously unreported details shed new light on TikTok’s messy corporate split and add new urgency to U.S. lawmakers’ concerns about TikTok, particularly as the company faces continued skepticism over multiple safety issues.
HRIC on Twitter/X: The U.S. Department of State is offering a bounty for information on the identity and whereabouts of Chinese national Zhang Yu, a director of Shanghai Shiyan Technology Co., Ltd., who reportedly conducted hacking activities on behalf of the Shanghai State Security Bureau of China’s Ministry of State Security.
Diaspora Community & Transnational Repression 海外社群和跨国镇压
Thai court dismisses detention challenge by Chinese journalist sought by Beijing: A Bangkok court rejected Bai Zhaodong’s challenge a day after Thailand opened extradition proceedings at Beijing’s request. Bai is a UN-recognized refugee, held since January after Thai authorities twice cancelled flights to a third country that offered asylum. His extradition hearing is set for January 25, 2027.
Wolf Warriors in Sheep’s Clothing: China’s New Subnational Diplomacy in Australia: Australia’s Prime Minister Albanese and his efforts to “stabilize” the Australia-China relationship since his election in 2022 have led to a shift in the Chinese government’s strategy to exert influence within the country, writes John Fitzgerald. “Among the knock-on effects in Australia was a flurry of Chinese diplomatic initiatives at the local level. Consular staff in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth now plainly assumed they were licensed by Albanese and his business entourage to press for local Australian compliance with their own demands on a range of issues. In meetings with local governments and peak community bodies, they carried a message: tolerating comments or events that displeased or offended the Chinese state or CCP would embarrass not just China or its ruling party, but the government of Australia.”
Taiwan accuses Hong Kong residents of hiring 4 people to spy on lawmaker critical of China: Prosecutors indicted four people for allegedly surveilling DPP lawmaker Puma Shen, a Taipei mayoral candidate, with money from two Hong Kong residents they link to an “overseas hostile force.” The private investigator allegedly received about NT$360,000 in 2024, and a camera was aimed at Shen’s home.
HRIC on Twitter/X: According to a report by Deutsche Welle, August Hanning, the former president of the Federal Intelligence Service, is suspected of leaking confidential German information to China’s intelligence services. Investigators are examining his post-retirement consulting work with multiple countries, with potential ties to Chinese intelligence being a key focus.
Human Rights Defenders & Civil Society 人权捍卫者与公民社会
HRIC on Twitter/X: Cheng Lei, former CCTV anchor and Australian-Chinese journalist who was imprisoned in China for over three years, detailed her experiences under residential surveillance and detention in a new interview.
HRIC on Twitter/X: Pastor Jin Mingri of Zion Church received this year’s Lantos Human Rights Award, a testament to Pastor Jin’s courage under immense pressure and a show of solidarity with the many persecuted faith communities in China.
HRIC on Twitter/X: China’s well-known “fake buster” Wang Hai and his team have recently faced intense crackdown by Dalian police, stemming from his long-standing support for the rights of Dalian cherry growers.
Uyghur Pop Singer Ablajan Awut Ayup’s Release from Prison Confirmed: Uyghur Post verified that the singer, detained in 2018 in Guma, has reappeared in photos on Douyin, with earlier claims placing his release in February 2026. He has released a Chinese-language love song, “Perfect,” and fans’ comments hint he was held in a camp but say it “cannot be discussed openly.”
Tiananmen vigil organiser Chow Hang-tung files appeal against subversion sentence: Chow filed an appeal against her seven-year, three-month sentence, handed down September 11 for inciting subversion over the Tiananmen vigils. Lee Cheuk-yan received seven years and Albert Ho five years and two months. Lee’s wife said her husband would also appeal.
Elderly man arrested for criminal damage after red paint splashed on Kwun Tong lawmakers’ office: A 66-year-old was arrested for splashing red paint at the Sau Mau Ping Estate office shared by lawmakers Bill Tang and Chan Pui-leung. Police said no national security or triad elements were involved, and he reportedly accused the lawmakers of ignoring his complaints.
Po Leung Kuk charity appoints 16 ‘national security tutors’ under gov’t scheme: The charity inaugurated its first group of national security education instructors on October 7 at the Science Museum, under the government’s district-tutor scheme. The program, which aims to teach students about the National Security Law, has trained over 3,300 tutors citywide.
China’s Reach & Internal Control 中国: 内控与外扩
Chinese Authorities Removing Tibetan Signboards in Chengdu: Authorities in Chengdu removed Tibetan-language signage from private business Charingma Interior Design Co. on October 5, only allowing the shop name written in Chinese characters on the sign. The manager stated that many of the shop’s older Tibetan customers cannot read Chinese. The action follows the rollout of the Ethnic Unity Law, which has caused Tibetan text to increasingly vanish from public signage.
HRIC on Twitter/X: Two scholars from Yale University in the United States were recently named in a research report which states that after participating in an official Chinese forum on Xinjiang in 2024, the scholars’ publicly expressed praise was used by Chinese state media to defend repressive policies in Xinjiang.
China sanctions Paraguay and Belize officials over ties with Taiwan: China sanctioned Paraguay’s communications minister, Gustavo Villate, and Belize’s foreign minister, Francis Fonseca, calling them “pawns” of Taiwan independence forces. The measures, which came two days after Taiwan’s National Day, freeze assets in China and bar entry, and are largely symbolic.
Satellite images show attack jets at Chinese military facility in Laos: Satellite images from September 30 show about eight K-8 light attack jets and over two dozen support vehicles at a new China-Laos facility at Ban Keun, still building its runway. Analysts say it may be China’s first fully fledged overseas military base in Southeast Asia, while Beijing calls it joint training and support.
Another former top Chinese leader in Tibet sacked for corruption: Ding Yexian, former deputy head of the Tibet Autonomous Region’s People’s Congress standing committee, was expelled from the Party on October 9 after an April probe. He is accused of bribery.
China’s Panchen for aligning all religious work in Tibet with China’s national assimilation law: The government-appointed Panchen Lama, Gyaltsen Norbu, told a Shigatse meeting on September 30 that all religious work in Tibet must align with Party policy, including the Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law. Xinhua reported he urged in-depth study and publicity of the law and religious regulations.
A “Red Tourism” Push for the Long March: For state media coverage of the 90th anniversary of the Long March, official narratives centered on National Day travel along Long March sites, with themed trains, an AI-powered museum in Guiyang, and dramas filmed along the route. This article traces “red tourism” from 2004 as a way to build patriotic identity and develop poor regions.
International Responses 国际反应
European Parliament calls to free Hong Kong political prisoners and suspend extradition arrangements: On October 7, the European Parliament adopted its EU-China policy recommendations by 454 votes to 86, with 110 abstentions. On Hong Kong, they urge Beijing to free Jimmy Lai, Benny Tai, Joshua Wong, Leung Kwok-hung, Owen Chow, Chow Hang-tung and the jailed members of the Hong Kong 47, and to suspend all extradition arrangements to Hong Kong until judicial independence and free expression are restored.
Related: European Parliament’s China-policy report condemns forced assimilation drive in Tibet. The European Parliament’s new recommendations on EU-China relations condemn forced “Sinicisation” in Tibet and the Ethnic Unity Law, demand information on the missing Panchen Lama Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, and call for closing Chinese “overseas police stations.”
Related: EU lawmakers vote to reject Chinese pressure on Taiwan’s global role. The same report also rejects China’s attempts to restrict Taiwan’s international participation, cites Beijing’s pressure over VP Hsiao Bi-khim’s EP-organized conference, and opposes China’s distortion of UN Resolution 2758. It reaffirms the EU’s One China policy, notes the EU never endorsed Beijing’s “One China principle,” and urges closer ties and a continuous naval presence.
US says Fiji-based Chinese official paid bribes for Beijing: The State Department barred Zhao Fugang, director of Suva’s Overseas Chinese Service Centre, from the United States for allegedly bribing Fijians to advance Chinese interests. Zhao denies the allegations and China’s foreign ministry called them slander. The United States also named a Palau Senate president and a former Marshall Islands mayor.
EU to limit Chinese hybrid vehicle imports to 350,000 a year: After an October 9 Beijing deal that EU trade chief Šefčovič said would cut Chinese hybrid shipments by more than half over four years, Bloomberg reports the cap would be 350,000 cars in year one, rising 6% annually, possibly from December 1—EU leaders must still approve it.
Related: China warns France, Germany against ‘protectionist’ trade tools. China’s commerce ministry urged France and Germany not to encourage EU “protectionist tools” after Macron and Merz asked for a credible trade instrument allowing rapid responses to trade aggression. The letter did not name China but came days before EU trade chief Šefčovič’s Beijing trip. Beijing had earlier threatened a “resolute response” to any Section 301-style EU tool.
Taiwan’s Lai says the island will not give up its freedom in National Day speech: In his October 10 National Day speech, Lai said Taiwan cherishes peace but won’t give up its freedom, adding that boosting defenses isn’t a provocation. Beijing’s Taiwan Affairs Office accused him of clinging to a “Taiwan independence” mindset, and 13 Chinese aircraft crossed the median line the same day.
U.S. urges China to stop pressure on Taiwan after militia vessel spotted: The State Department called China’s activity east of Taiwan “deeply destabilizing” after Reuters reported a maritime militia boat, Minfudingyu 07902, spotted off Hualien in mid-August alongside a coast guard cutter and research vessel. Taiwanese officials say Beijing may be rehearsing a blockade, while Taiwan’s coast guard said the vessels stayed outside restricted waters.
Philippines flags near-doubling of Chinese presence in disputed waters: Manila monitored 101 Chinese navy and coast guard ships in September around Thitu Island, Second Thomas Shoal, Sabina Shoal and Scarborough Shoal, nearly double the number of the previous month. An alleged Chinese fighter-jet interference with a Philippine patrol plane near Scarborough was among the incidents.