Apple Daily closing is bad news for Hong Kong

The China Letter: June 28, 2021

Hong Kong lost one of its most prominent platforms speaking out against Beijing, but reporters from a distance are increasingly uncovering new details about the treatment of Uyghurs, while China’s relationship with Australia has taken a weirder turn. Catch up on what’s happening—and if you like these updates, tell a friend:

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Security law won this one

CNN International @cnni

Hong Kong's largest and loudest pro-democracy newspaper, Apple Daily, has announced its closure after its journalists were arrested and assets frozen under a Beijing-imposed National Security Law.

cnn.itHong Kong’s biggest pro-democracy newspaper closes as Beijing tightens its gripHong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai, founder and owner of Apple Daily newspaper is seen handcuffed and escorted by the guards leaving Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre on December 12, 2020, in Hong Kong, China.

Apple Daily’s printing presses came to a halt after 26 years after the arrests of its staff and the freezing of assets through the application of the national security law in Hong Kong. The jailing of publisher Jimmy Lai initiated events that led to what Joe Biden called “a sad day for media freedom” as locals lined up to buy the final edition.

reason @reason

Instead of fiercely condemning China’s oppressive government, many traditionally liberal nations are growing increasingly ambivalent about freedom within their own borders.

buff.lyHong Kong’s Experiment in Freedom Nears a Brutal EndChina’s government emphasizes control over prosperity while a demoralized West offers little opposition.

Prior to the newspaper closing were plenty of indications that an era of freedom was ending, with the recognition that what Beijing did to Apple Daily could happen to any company. Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam refused to explain how other pro-democracy media can avoid more shutdowns, beyond saying none of them should subvert the law.

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Journalism in dark corners

John Sudworth @TheJohnSudworth

This report by me, @ProducerKathy and others is the story of two years of attempts to hold China to its promise to investigate Xinjiang's missing children. Why no answers? Why can't the mothers in this film see their children??

m.youtube.comNew evidence of Uyghur children separated from their families in China - BBC NewsThe BBC has been investigating the plight of thousands of children believed to have been separated from their parents as a result of China’s treatment of its...

China’s promises to help trace children reported to be missing in Xinjiang haven’t been met, reports BBC News correspondent John Sudworth, who relocated to Taiwan out of concern for his safety. Meanwhile, an investigation from the New York Times and ProPublica outlines how China spreads a propaganda version of life for Uyghurs:

ProPublica @propublica

Social media platforms like Twitter and YouTube are banned in China out of fear they might be used to spread political messaging — which is exactly how Chinese officials are using them to spread their propaganda version of life in Xinjiang.

propub.liHow China Spreads Its Propaganda Version of Life for UyghursThousands of videos of Uyghurs denying abuses against their community are showing up on Twitter and YouTube. They’re part of an elaborate influence campaign by Chinese officials to counter reports of human rights violations in Xinjiang.

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Sinking status in Australia

Rappler @rapplerdotcom

Beijing's complaint involves Canberra's duties on imports of railway wheels, wind towers, and stainless steel sinks.

rappler.comChina appeals to WTO over Australia measures against some Chinese productsBeijing’s complaint involves Canberra’s duties on imports of railway wheels, wind towers, and stainless steel sinks

Railway wheels, wind towers, and stainless steel sinks are the three unlikely products that Australia already had antidumping and anti-subsidy measures on. But now China has complained about it to the World Trade Organization as unfair measures for a trade war. Relations between these nations has plummeted to its lowest point ever:

ABC News @abcnews

Australians trust China's Xi Jinping more than North Korea's Kim Jong Un — but only just

abc.net.auIn 2016, Australians were unsure if the future lay with the US or China. It seems the results are inThe 2021 Lowy Institute Poll has found more Australians now see China as a security threat rather than an economic partner, and the majority blame China for tensions in the relationship between the countries.

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