This article is more than 3 years oldThis article is more than 3 years oldUK warns China of serious consequences if it breaches agreement on freedoms in cityFirst published on Mon 1 Jul 2019 23.04 EDTThe Chinese government has issued a strong condemnation of protesters who Hong Kong’s legislature, calling the act “totally intolerable”, as the UK warned China of serious consequences if it breached an agreement guaranteeing freedoms in the city.In a statement carried by the state-run Xinhua news agency, the Chinese government’s top representative organisation in said it was “shocked,...…This article is more than 3 years oldThis article is more than 3 years oldUK warns China of serious consequences if it breaches agreement on freedoms in cityFirst published on Mon 1 Jul 2019 23.04 EDTThe Chinese government has issued a strong condemnation of protesters who Hong Kong’s legislature, calling the act “totally intolerable”, as the UK warned China of serious consequences if it breached an agreement guaranteeing freedoms in the city.In a statement carried by the state-run Xinhua news agency, the Chinese government’s top representative organisation in said it was “shocked,...WW…

This article is more than 2 years oldThis article is more than 2 years oldSentencing of Yu Wensheng behind closed doors comes after secret trial in May 2019 Last modified on Thu 6 Jan 2022 11.00 ESTA Chinese court has secretly convicted and handed down a four-year jail sentence to one of China’s most outspoken human rights lawyers, Yu Wensheng, on the charge of “inciting subversion of state power”, according to his wife.Yu’s wife, Xu Yan, told the Guardian that she was informed by phone by the prosecutor’s office in Xuzhou city in the eastern province of Jiangsu that her husband’s term was...…This article is more than 2 years oldThis article is more than 2 years oldSentencing of Yu Wensheng behind closed doors comes after secret trial in May 2019 Last modified on Thu 6 Jan 2022 11.00 ESTA Chinese court has secretly convicted and handed down a four-year jail sentence to one of China’s most outspoken human rights lawyers, Yu Wensheng, on the charge of “inciting subversion of state power”, according to his wife.Yu’s wife, Xu Yan, told the Guardian that she was informed by phone by the prosecutor’s office in Xuzhou city in the eastern province of Jiangsu that her husband’s term was...WW…

This article is more than 2 years oldThis article is more than 2 years oldFifty-three demonstrators arrested after ignoring ban on gatherings to mark one year of protestsFirst published on Mon 8 Jun 2020 22.21 EDTMore than 50 people were arrested in on Tuesday night after thousands of protesters took to the streets in defiance of a police order to mark the first anniversary of the anti-government movement. Police riot units used pepper spray and repeatedly charged at crowds in an attempt to disperse protesters gathered near the business district of Central, occupying roads and blocking...…This article is more than 2 years oldThis article is more than 2 years oldFifty-three demonstrators arrested after ignoring ban on gatherings to mark one year of protestsFirst published on Mon 8 Jun 2020 22.21 EDTMore than 50 people were arrested in on Tuesday night after thousands of protesters took to the streets in defiance of a police order to mark the first anniversary of the anti-government movement. Police riot units used pepper spray and repeatedly charged at crowds in an attempt to disperse protesters gathered near the business district of Central, occupying roads and blocking...WW…

This article is more than 2 years oldThis article is more than 2 years oldChina’s national security law has reinvigorated a protest movement that began with opposition to an extradition billLast modified on Thu 6 Jan 2022 11.04 EST“We weren’t fighting for much, we just wanted Hong Kong to remain Hong Kong and not turn into just any Chinese city,” he said. “We want to have dignity and basic rights. As the Chinese national anthem says, not to become slaves.”A year later, the 37-year-old mainland-born construction worker feels more depressed than ever. “I feel so helpless and hopeless,”...…This article is more than 2 years oldThis article is more than 2 years oldChina’s national security law has reinvigorated a protest movement that began with opposition to an extradition billLast modified on Thu 6 Jan 2022 11.04 EST“We weren’t fighting for much, we just wanted Hong Kong to remain Hong Kong and not turn into just any Chinese city,” he said. “We want to have dignity and basic rights. As the Chinese national anthem says, not to become slaves.”A year later, the 37-year-old mainland-born construction worker feels more depressed than ever. “I feel so helpless and hopeless,”...WW…

This article is more than 2 years oldThis article is more than 2 years oldCarrie Lam says she will ‘listen humbly’ after almost 90% of district council seats go to pro-democracy candidatesFirst published on Sun 24 Nov 2019 13.03 ESTHong Kong’s voters have delivered an unprecedented landslide for pro-democracy candidates in local elections, in a powerful show of solidarity with the city’s protest movement and rebuke to the government over its handling of the crisis.Over six months of escalating violence on the streets, Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam had claimed the support of a “silent...…This article is more than 2 years oldThis article is more than 2 years oldCarrie Lam says she will ‘listen humbly’ after almost 90% of district council seats go to pro-democracy candidatesFirst published on Sun 24 Nov 2019 13.03 ESTHong Kong’s voters have delivered an unprecedented landslide for pro-democracy candidates in local elections, in a powerful show of solidarity with the city’s protest movement and rebuke to the government over its handling of the crisis.Over six months of escalating violence on the streets, Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam had claimed the support of a “silent...WW…

This article is more than 2 years oldThis article is more than 2 years oldExclusive: Dr Jiang Yanyong’s movements restricted after he wrote to authorities about 1989 Tiananmen Square protestsLast modified on Thu 6 Jan 2022 11.42 ESTThe Chinese military surgeon who exposed the government’s cover-up of the the severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) epidemic in 2003 has been under de facto house arrest since last year, according to his friends and family.The fate of 88-year-old Dr Jiang Yanyong, a retired general in the People’s Liberation Army, has been brought into the spotlight after a...…This article is more than 2 years oldThis article is more than 2 years oldExclusive: Dr Jiang Yanyong’s movements restricted after he wrote to authorities about 1989 Tiananmen Square protestsLast modified on Thu 6 Jan 2022 11.42 ESTThe Chinese military surgeon who exposed the government’s cover-up of the the severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) epidemic in 2003 has been under de facto house arrest since last year, according to his friends and family.The fate of 88-year-old Dr Jiang Yanyong, a retired general in the People’s Liberation Army, has been brought into the spotlight after a...WW…

This article is more than 2 years oldThis article is more than 2 years oldXu Zhiyong is being held in secret detention and has been denied access to a lawyer, say friendsLast modified on Thu 6 Jan 2022 11.31 ESTA prominent Chinese activist detained for criticising President Xi Jinping’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak is being held on a state security charge that carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in jail, his friends said on Sunday.Xu Zhiyong, a former law lecturer and founder of the social campaign New Citizens Movement, during a fresh crackdown on freedom of speech precipitated...…This article is more than 2 years oldThis article is more than 2 years oldXu Zhiyong is being held in secret detention and has been denied access to a lawyer, say friendsLast modified on Thu 6 Jan 2022 11.31 ESTA prominent Chinese activist detained for criticising President Xi Jinping’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak is being held on a state security charge that carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in jail, his friends said on Sunday.Xu Zhiyong, a former law lecturer and founder of the social campaign New Citizens Movement, during a fresh crackdown on freedom of speech precipitated...WW…

This article is more than 2 years oldThis article is more than 2 years oldWang Quanzhang’s wife fears Covid-19 may be used as pretext to keep him under house arrestLast modified on Thu 6 Jan 2022 11.26 ESTA prominent Chinese human rights lawyer barred from returning home after his prison release two weeks ago has been prohibited from reuniting with his family after a 14-day quarantine period.Wang Quanzhang’s wife and rights groups fear authorities are using the coronavirus pandemic as a pretext to hold him indefinitely under de facto house arrest.Wang, a lawyer who lives in Beijing, had...…This article is more than 2 years oldThis article is more than 2 years oldWang Quanzhang’s wife fears Covid-19 may be used as pretext to keep him under house arrestLast modified on Thu 6 Jan 2022 11.26 ESTA prominent Chinese human rights lawyer barred from returning home after his prison release two weeks ago has been prohibited from reuniting with his family after a 14-day quarantine period.Wang Quanzhang’s wife and rights groups fear authorities are using the coronavirus pandemic as a pretext to hold him indefinitely under de facto house arrest.Wang, a lawyer who lives in Beijing, had...WW…

This article is more than 2 years oldThis article is more than 2 years oldProtesters defy police ban as legislation prohibits mockery of Chinese anthemFirst published on Wed 3 Jun 2020 19.48 EDTThousands of people have defied a police ban in to mourn the victims of the Tiananmen Square massacre, after the city’s legislature passed a law criminalising the mockery of China’s national anthem.Many fear this year’s commemoration of the events of 4 June 1989 might be Hong Kong’s last, as has approved a plan to impose national security laws on the semi-autonomous city that would prevent and punish...…This article is more than 2 years oldThis article is more than 2 years oldProtesters defy police ban as legislation prohibits mockery of Chinese anthemFirst published on Wed 3 Jun 2020 19.48 EDTThousands of people have defied a police ban in to mourn the victims of the Tiananmen Square massacre, after the city’s legislature passed a law criminalising the mockery of China’s national anthem.Many fear this year’s commemoration of the events of 4 June 1989 might be Hong Kong’s last, as has approved a plan to impose national security laws on the semi-autonomous city that would prevent and punish...WW…