China
The Chinese government is the world’s leading jailer of writers and public intellectuals. Writers, journalists, bloggers, and creative artists face censorship, harassment, imprisonment, and enforced disappearance because of their writing or creative expression.
The extensive crackdown on freedom of expression includes the crushing of civil and political rights in Hong Kong and attempts to erase the culture and language of Mongolians, Uyghurs, Tibetans, and other ethnic minorities living in China and its autonomous regions, elevating to potential crimes against humanity in Xinjiang.
What You Need to Know
More than 100 writers are currently behind bars on politicized charges in China. The majority were jailed for online expression that was critical of official policies or expressed pro-democracy viewpoints.
China’s technological and legal infrastructure enables the government to censor, monitor, and control all digital information that flows within, and into and out of the country, especially in autonomous regions.
The Chinese government has expanded its censorship apparatus overseas to try and limit expression about China beyond its borders, engaging in transnational repression against exiles and the diaspora.
News
Individual Cases
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Status: Imprisoned
According to local police in Atush, Xinjiang, Uyghur author and schoolteacher Setiwaldi Kerim was arrested in 2017 for “promoting separatism” in his books. Uyghur activist Abdulweli Ayup believes Kerim’s detention is likely linked to his work on a Uyghur literature…
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Status: Imprisoned
Gyatso, author of We Need to Wake Up and several articles on Tibetan freedom of expression, was arrested on October 26, 2020, by Chinese State Security agents. Previously detained four times for his unpublished writings and activism, he was sentenced…
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Status: Imprisoned
Qin Yongmin, a writer, activist, and co-founder of the Democratic Party of China, was arrested on May 6, 2015, for inciting subversion of state power. In 2018, he was sentenced to 13 years in prison and 3 years of deprivation…
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Status: Custodial/Wrongful Death
Yang, a Chinese writer and democracy activist, passed away on November 7, 2017, after being released on medical parole due to an aggressive brain cancer diagnosis. Previously persecuted for his role in the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, Yang spent over…
Reports & Research
Addressing Beijing’s assault on free expression and defending human rights standards globally is a key priority.
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“Save Our Mother Tongue”
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Writing on the Wall
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Made in Hollywood, Censored by Beijing
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Forbidden Feeds
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Splintered Speech
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Darkened Screen
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Censorship and Conscience
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Threatened Harbor
PEN America Experts
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Erika Nguyen
Erika Nguyen is a senior manager in the PEN/Barbey Freedom…