All I want to say is this: the Chinese Communist Party and its henchmen in Hong Kong, we will pursue you to the end, and we will win. Justice will prevail, and accountability will come to you.

This is a remarkable story. I wonder how many cadres in China right now are also feeling that all the privileges and status that come with being a CCP official are not worth the daily grinding down of their soul. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/01/b...

Six years ago today, Dr. Li Wenliang died from Covid. Imagine if he hadn’t been silenced by the Chinese government for speaking out—what a different world we might be living in now.

More than ever, we need investigative reporting on China—work that takes time and resources to produce—not commentaries from YouTubers speculating about imminent economic collapse or elite political infighting in China.

It was fun, thanks for having me. These days, I feel like I should start conversations by saying, "yes, yes, I know the US's human rights record really suck now. BUT that fact does nothing to invalidate criticism of China."

The censorship, surveillance, and student reporting faced by these professors—along with the inevitable self-censorship—feel quintessentially China, but they are occurring in America. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/u...

I often say to journalists and curious laypeople, "I work on human rights issues, what do I know about whether China is going to attack Taiwan/who is fighting who at the top/whether China's economic model is sustainable?"

Ad time: Interested in joining the University of Chicago’s Forum for Free Inquiry and Expression as a fellow or visiting scholar? Email the team at [email protected]. thechicagoforum.uchicago.edu/en

It is encouraging to see a member of Congress taking this approach. I hope liberal democracies around the world are not giving up on the United States. A large segment of American society still wants to be part of the international human rights system, and they need external support and solidarity.

News on China is increasingly crowded out by the daily tantrums of the American presidency. When China does break through, it's either on the economy or elite political infighting. How do we get the world to care about the 1 billion plus repressed people in China ? Tips?

Some friends and I are discussing whether Alex Pretti’s death will matter. I believe it will. Even in China—where the government is far less responsive to public opinion—the death of Sun Zhigang, a migrant worker beaten to death by police, prompted systemic change. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Zhi...

She was Good. He was Pretti. Rest in peace.

I urge leaders of democracies worldwide to step forward and stand with Americans fighting on the ground.

While Trump has sucked up all the air, please take a moment to learn about heroes like Chow Hang-tung and Albert Ho. Don't let the Beijing and Hong Kong governments get away with repression when the world is not looking. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...

Listen to my former colleague @nateschenkkan.bsky.social. Experts on global authoritarianism are exactly the people we need to weigh in on America -- and how to fight back -- before it is too late.

A German exchange student here at University of Chicago told me he loved his experience at the university, wished he could stay here longer - but not in America. It’s a feeling many of us recognize: loving our cocoons in America, alienated from the country as a whole.

The mistake may have been ours—we projected our hopes onto others. We looked for someone charismatic, like Ai, or something powerful, like the US, to commit to our cause, only to be disappointed. But belief cannot depend on heroes or patrons. We must hold onto it even when we stand alone.

Regarding Ai Weiwei’s sudden pro-Beijing turn - though there were earlier signs - the CCP’s horrific abuses are historical facts that cannot be argued out of existence. A former human rights icon may have fallen, but the struggle for democracy will continue, with or without him.

Yes, Chinese universities are producing a large quantity of research. But without academic freedom, how meaningful is this "excellence?" University should not just be a factory of research output, but a community meant to seek truth and challenge power. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/15/u...

It is really sad that the Journal of Democracy and its parent organization, the National Endowment for Democracy, aren't playing a role in defending American democracy (it falls outside of their mandate). Decades of accumulated knowledge go unused at a moment when it is most urgently needed.

Hello, it’s Monday. As someone connected to both China and America, I feel compelled to say this: I’m deeply embarrassed, and I want to apologize to everyone in Europe, in Africa, in Latin America, in Asia, in Antarctica and in outer space.

Folks, it’s possible to hold two feelings at once (as I do): glad Maduro is gone, uneasy about the way he was removed.

In which I argue it’s a mistake for anyone who cares about the democratic future in China to rejoice. By apprehending Maduro through legally dubious means, Trump weakens the international legal framework, undercutting the system that gives human rights advocacy its moral and legal force.

The killing by ICE in Minneapolis reminds me of the death of Qian Yunhui, a Chinese farmer killed while protesting a land seizure. I still remember the public outrage then. What comforts me now is that the US has far more political space. I trust truth will come out and accountability will follow.

Hello, I am at University of Chicago for the moment (apparently, I brought balmy weather here), ping me to hang out. The world has gone mad, so I am taking refuge at a university to ponder a few questions in peace.

America’s credibility on a rules-based international order is now completely in the toilet. I urge my colleagues to seriously explore alternative approaches to advocating for human rights and democracy in China that do not rely on U.S. power or U.S. funding.

Saw some people in the human rights space applauding Trump’s actions in Venezuela. As someone from China—a country where dictatorship feels omnipotent and where people inside often feel utterly powerless—I understand the desire for an external force to remove a hated tyrant. 1/3

2025 has been the hardest year of my professional life, and I know I’m not alone in feeling this way. There’s so much uncertainty about where the world is headed, and at times it’s frightening. Stay strong, stay brave, and take care of one another. Happy New Year, everyone.

This is really a sad contradiction for us who work on human rights issues in China: as governments commit to countering CCP influence within their borders (a welcome step), they are concurrently adopting measures that make life harder for those who fled the CCP’s persecution.

Nah, I am not leaving the country, for many reasons, but one is increasing vindictiveness: to spite those who want me out of here. -- Yours, an immigrant

It's December, the time CCP suppresses celebrations of Christmas. This year, however, the scale of police deployment, coupled with the earlier arrests of Zion Church members, signals an especially severe crackdown. A grim winter for the remaining underground churches in China.

"Americans, especially those in positions of power, must find the courage to stand up for what is right, even when doing so carries personal risk." www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Bogus convictions based on bogus charges based on a bogus law. The Hong Kong and Beijing authorities will face accountability for their cruelty towards Jimmy Lai — one of the bravest human beings of our time. I hope that day will come soon, and we together will bring it about.

"once you choose to take a stand at personal cost, you may be surprised by how many people reach out to express their admiration and support. That kind of affirmation can be deeply rewarding. And courage is contagious. Your act of conscience nudges others toward their own."

In this piece, I share lessons for Americans who are struggling with whether to protest Trump. Drawing from my years working with courageous Chinese activists, I argue that while acting on one’s moral convictions can be risky, it can also feel profoundly good. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Incredible story, exposing how far the CCP will go to hunt down its perceived enemies and how willingly American tech companies enable that abuse. Here, the pursuit of power, control and profit brought diverging interests together to silence dissent. apnews.com/article/whis...

Today is Human Rights Day. Human rights are eroding across the globe, yet governments, businesses, and the media are talking about them less. History has made one thing clear: sidelining people's desire for freedom, dignity and equality is always a mistake.

Those critics of the CCP who put “tough on China” above laws and norms are finding out how hollow that “toughness” really is. Believe in people grounded in values — not in people who merely share a common enemy with you.

FreeWeChat has provided a window to and kept a record of how exactly the CCP censors the Chinese information space. It’s a total shame that an American company is bending to the CCP’s global censorship demands. Don’t fool yourself: this will come back to bite you. en.greatfire.org/blog/2025/de...

Folks, the US does NOT have a national security strategy. That report does not matter. The actual strategy is whatever Trump says depending on whoever he last met and what he ate last night. (cartoon by @badiucao.bsky.social )

Many Chinese people came—or hope to come—to the US for its freedoms and because it is is a gentler, more humane society where the government respects human rights, unlike in China. The Trump administration is doing the CCP’s best propaganda to ruin America’s reputation.

This is an extraordinary piece of history. I hope today’s Chinese officials will draw inspiration from Xu Qinxian, who in 1989 refused orders to use force against peaceful demonstrators, should such a test occur again.

It’s really hard to watch young people once again being crushed by the Hong Kong government. But we should stay hopeful: activism around livelihood issues—like public disasters—can galvanize much broader public support and usher Hong Kong into a new phase of human rights activism.

The arrests in Hong Kong right now are déjà vu for mainlanders like me who were active in civil society in the 2000s: citizens demanding investigations and accountability after public disasters are met not with answers, but arrests and intimidation. #mainlandization #香港加速内地化

“What really needs to be replaced is never the bamboo scaffolding." - Clever, but makes me sad. Hong Kongers are increasingly adopting the euphemistic language of the mainland, because speaking plainly is risky. In time, people may lose not only the ability to say the truth, but even to think it.

When insecurity runs deep, everything looks like a security threat. This sort of paranoia will only deepen public resentment and distaste towards the Hong Kong government and its Beijing Overlord.

For everyone working in democracy and human rights: if you’re still standing after this year, take a moment to thank yourself. It’s been a lot. But setbacks are temporary and our cause will prevail, because people everywhere want to live in freedom and dignity. Wish you all a hopeful Thanksgiving!

The photos of the Hong Kong fire are heartbreaking. What makes it even worse is knowing that the lack of press freedom and the absence of democratically elected leaders will only hinder a real investigation and meaningful accountability. 香港平安！香港加油！

Today marks the 3rd anniversary of the White Paper Protests- the moment a new generation of Chinese people began to wake up. Human rights may be in retreat in China (and globally) right now, but the seed planted by White Paper is still growing- quietly for now, but not forever. x.com/i/status/159...

There have been many articles lately about US–China rivalry. But when the two countries no longer differ meaningfully in the underlying values that once defined that competition, I wonder: what exactly are they competing for now? I feel increasingly detached from these debates.