Democracy in China

Hundreds of thousands of Hongkongers took to the streets on December 8, 2019, the day before the six-month anniversary of the anti-government protests. For the first time since August, the Civil Human Rights Front, the organizer of the march, received a letter of no objection from the police.

Authorities in a southern Chinese city have suspended plans to build a crematorium following two days of clashes between riot police and residents in scenes that drew comparisons to the continuing unrest in Hong Kong. The clashes in Wenlou, which is about 60 miles north of Hong Kong, began on Thursday when hundreds of locals tried to march on the town’s government offices in protest against plans to build a crematorium on land they believed had been set aside for a park. But police intervened, firing tear gas and using batons to fend off the crowds. Dozens of people were injured and as many as 100 were detained, witnesses said. Authorities in Huazhou, Guangdong province, issued a notice late

A 70-year-old street sweeper hit by a brick during a clash between anti-government protesters and residents in Hong Kong on Wednesday has died. He was one of three people – including a 15-year-old boy – ­critically injured during confrontations over the past few days amid social unrest that created the worst political crisis in the former British colony since it returned to Chinese rule in 1997. The 70-year-old, surnamed Luo, died on Thursday night after being struck in the head by a flying brick during a clash in the border town of Sheung Shui, a spokesman for Prince of Wales Hospital said. Protests have continued for months to demand accountability for alleged police abuse and call for de

Aaron Kwok, a Canto-pop and movie superstar in Hong Kong, found himself briefly stranded in his Lamborghini supercar on Sunday night when he ran into a scrum of anti-government protesters. Thousands of demonstrators had gathered near the US consulate to demand American support for their calls for democracy and autonomy before the rally descended into chaos in several neighborhoods. Kwok, known for his love for horses and cars, was caught up in protests in the Causeway Bay district as riot police blanketed streets nearby with tear smoke. Surrounded by masked protesters wearing black T-shirts, Kwok rolled down his car window several times and explained that he was running an errand. “I’m gett

Over the past week, nationalist fury has enveloped China’s internet, prompting actors, musicians and other public figures in the mainland to criticize the continuing anti-government protests in Hong Kong. Against this backdrop, outspoken Chinese mixed martial arts fighter Xu Xiaodong has bucked the trend by speaking up for Hongkongers on social media. On Sunday, Xu, who has controversially made a name for himself by challenging what he calls “fake” kung fu masters, wrote on Twitter that Hong Kong is a world-class free market with quality higher education and a robust entertainment industry. He condemned some violent clashes between protesters and police as illegal acts that must be punished

A Hong Kong celebrity has been compelled to declare her love for China after she “liked” an Instagram post showing protests against Beijing. Charmaine Sheh Sze-man, a Hong Kong actress popular in mainland China, denied she was supporting protests against a proposal to allow extraditions to the mainland that triggered massive demonstrations in her home city. The internet attacks against her on mainland Chinese social media after she “liked” the video highlight the political tightrope that actors and other performers in Hong Kong must walk. Mainland China has overtaken the city as the main income source for many of them. Those who have defied Beijing’s official line have been punished by boyco

Mass demonstrations in Hong Kong against a proposed extradition bill have been making headlines around the world. But what about in mainland China? As we’ve explained, Hong Kong is legally part of China,  but it enjoys many freedoms, including an unfettered internet. Most mainland news outlets have stayed silent on the continuing demonstrations against the bill, which could allow suspects to be extradited to mainland China. Following a huge demonstration on Sunday and violent protests on Wednesday, a few state media labeled the protesters as “dangerous rioters” supported by “foreign forces” to damage Hong Kong. The state-run Xinhua news agency said on Thursday the extradition bill was suppor

Protests in Hong Kong over an extradition bill have paralyzed traffic near government headquarters, the main site of the 2014 Umbrella Movement pro-democracy demonstrations calling for freer elections. Here we answer some of your most frequently asked questions. Is Hong Kong a country? No. Hong Kong is a special part of China with its own currency, legal systems and civil liberties unavailable in much of the rest of China. Hong Kong had been a British colony for more than 150 years, interrupted only by several years of Japanese military occupation, before London handed it over to China in 1997. Before this handover, Beijing promised Hong Kong that it would enjoy “a high degree of autonomy,”

LinkedIn is one of the few US social media companies that have broke into the lucrative Chinese market. The site boasts of some 41 million users in the country. But those users have come with strings attached: censorship. LinkedIn’s China operation is again prompting criticism after the business networking site blocked the profile of a prominent activist from being viewed in China. New York-based Chinese activist Zhou Fengsuo, a student leader during the 1989 pro-democracy protests, was notified about the block on Thursday. “While we strongly support freedom of expression, we recognized when we launched that we would need to adhere to the requirements of the Chinese government in order to op

Is China a democracy? To answer the question, an obvious place to start would be a dictionary, where you can find the textbook definition of democracy. Regardless of which dictionary you pick up, you’re likely to find democracy loosely defined as a system of government by all members of a state. A country governed under such a system is said to be a democracy. The definition of democracy can be fuzzy, but there’s one thing we know for sure: that China officially wants it. In China’s constitution and in Chinese leaders’ speeches, a “people’s democratic dictatorship” and “democracy” are invoked as goals. But this isn’t just any democracy. Time and again, China has claimed that it doesn’t want