Human Rights in China raises concern over rising repression and global surveillance exports

Growing Repression in China: Rights Group Flags Lawyer’s Disappearance and Surveillance Spread

Human Rights in China (HRIC) just dropped its latest weekly update, shining a spotlight on the rising crackdown inside the country. From tighter legal grips to Beijing’s surveillance tech spreading worldwide, the report paints a worrying picture of China’s human rights landscape.

At the heart of it all is the shocking case of prominent rights lawyer Jiang Tianyong. Known for fighting for Tibetans, Falun Gong followers, and HIV/AIDS victims, Jiang vanished after unidentified men grabbed him in Changsha on September 16. He was meeting the family of a political prisoner at the time, and no one knows where he is now. HRIC is deeply worried about his safety, especially given his past run-ins with harassment, torture, and constant government watch. This disappearance highlights the ongoing dangers for human rights defenders in China.

The report also uncovers a huge data leak from Chinese surveillance company Landasoft. It shows US tech firms knew about teaming up with China’s defense contractors—and some even pushed their tools for policing purposes. Even more alarming, China’s advanced surveillance and censorship systems are now being sold to places like Kazakhstan, Ethiopia, Pakistan, and Myanmar. This move boosts Beijing’s global influence and spreads its authoritarian playbook abroad.

Back home, China’s National People’s Congress kicked off public feedback on 12 draft laws. These cover everything from cybersecurity and environmental rules to tweaks in the Language Law. State media calls them steps toward unity, but critics say they could crush minority languages and cultural diversity in China. Over in Hong Kong, lawmakers shot down a bill that would have given some rights to same-sex couples. But on a brighter note, courts just ruled for a lesbian couple, letting both moms appear on their child’s birth certificate.

Digital rights are taking a hit too. A new study dubs China’s censorship setup the "Locknet," and it’s getting smarter by the day. Graphika reports reveal state-backed networks using AI to tweak propaganda for global audiences. Censors clamped down on criticism of Beijing’s recent military parade, and regulators fined the app Xiaohongshu for spreading "negative" content. These moves show how China is ramping up online controls.

The repression isn’t staying inside borders. Diaspora communities face heat too—two men accused of smuggling US military tech to China escaped house arrest in Serbia. Former Radio Free Asia journalists shared how forced shutdowns create a chilling effect on free speech. In Hong Kong and Macau, controls are tightening fast, while Beijing pushes community surveillance to spots like the Solomon Islands. Even protests in Nepal are drawing backlash tied to Chinese influence.

All this points to China’s push to export its authoritarian model far and wide. As HRIC warns, the world needs to watch closely to counter the spread of repression and surveillance.

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