What Does the Punishment of a Prominent Scholar Mean for Intellectual Freedom in China?

A ChinaFile Conversation

By Donald Clarke, David Yeliang Xia & more on March 28, 2019

This week, Xu Zhangrun, a law professor at Beijing’s Tsinghua University who in recent months has penned a series of essays critical of policies of the Chinese Communist Party and of its leader, Xi Jinping, was banned from teaching, relieved of his academic duties, and put under investigation. While Xu has not been fired, many fear this week’s actions may be a prelude to more severe moves to silence a witty and prominent political critic and further chill an already wintry environment for scholarship and free expression in China. We asked contributors for their thoughts on the significance of Xu’s suspension and its possible consequences for political and intellectual life in China.

David Yeliang Xia

on March 28, 2019

David Yeliang Xia is an independent scholar. He was formerly a Visiting Fellow at the Cato Institute’s Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity. His work focused on the institutional and policy reforms China must make to become a modern, free society.

Xia’s research interests include economic history, institutional economics, and macro-economic and other public policy. Prior to joining Cato, Xia was a professor in the Department of Economics at Peking University, where he had taught since 2000.

He was dismissed from Peking University in October 2013 because of his outspoken criticism of the Chinese Communist Party and his advocacy of democracy and human rights.

Xia was a visiting scholar at Stanford University from September 2012 to August 2013, a visiting professor at the University of California at Los Angeles from July 2011 to July 2012, and a visiting scholar at the University of California, Berkeley from August 2005 to July 2006.

Xia was among the original signatories of Charter 08, a 2008 manifesto calling for basic freedoms, constitutional democracy, and respect for human rights, and he was a founder of the Cathay Institute of Public Affairs, a market-liberal think tank in China. He earned an M.A. and a Ph.D. in Economics from Fudan University in Shanghai.

Finding a Voice

By Lü Pin on March 28, 2019

When I started writing this article, Feminist Voices had been deleted for six months and ten days. Yes, I have been keeping track of the time: ten days, fifteen days, thirty days, sixty days, three months, six months. . . The first week after it disappeared from the Internet, my heart was filled with mourning; every day I lay in bed and cried. As time went by, I seemed to see a figure drifting away, but her soul was still near me. And her name will always linger in my mind.

Sarah Biddulph

on March 27, 2019

Sarah Biddulph is Director of the Asian Law Centre at Melbourne Law School. Her research focuses on the Chinese legal system with a particular emphasis on legal policy, law making, and enforcement as they affect the administration of justice in China. Her particular areas of research are contemporary Chinese administrative law, criminal procedure, labor, comparative law, and law regulating social and economic rights.

Kecheng Fang

on March 26, 2019

Kecheng Fang is a doctoral candidate at the Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania. His research interests include digital media, journalism, and political communication, mainly in the Chinese context. He is the recipient of multiple awards and grants, including the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation Doctoral Fellowship. He got his B.A. and M.A., both in Journalism, from Peking University. Before starting the academic journey, he worked as a political journalist at Southern Weekly for three years. He has appeared in media including The New York Times, the BBC, Financial Times, Foreign Policy, and The New Yorker, commenting on issues related to news media and Chinese politics. In 2011, he founded CNPolitics.org, an independent website committed to introducing academic studies to the Chinese public. He is also the founder of Newslab, a WeChat public account focusing on media literacy.

Xi’s Visit to ‘Rival’ Europe

A China in the World Podcast

By Paul Haenle & Philippe Le Corre on March 24, 2019

President Xi Jinping travels to Italy and France this month for his first overseas trip of 2019. His visit comes soon after the European Commission labeled China a “systemic rival” and “economic competitor.” Xi’s objective for both trips is to shore up ties with key European partners, Le Corre argues. The European Commission’s labeling China a “systemic rival” represents a harsh rebuke of Beijing’s behavior. However, Le Corre points to Europe’s lack of cohesiveness and countries’ divergent views on how best to engage with China as the primary challenges for the European Union in formulating a comprehensive strategy for Beijing.

Digitization in Fujian, Greater Bay Outreach in Guangdong, and a Symposium in Gansu

Ministry of Public Security WeChat Posts—February 15-25, 2019

on March 19, 2019

The Fujian Public Security Bureau (PSB) Foreign NGO Management Office, along with the Fujian Digital Department, has sped up the groundwork for establishing a “Digital Fujian.” This process of digitization includes the transition to digital certifications for foreign NGOs operating in Fujian. The Public Security Department aims to issue 10 foreign NGO registration certificates before October, and to issue digital versions on a same-day basis. Starting February 15, representatives from foreign NGOs in Fujian are no longer required to provide paper certificates or paper copies of their certificates. Representatives can inquire with relevant departments regarding the necessary materials to obtain a digital certificate.