Tibetan Villagers Jailed in Sog County For Running a Criminal Gang

<!–[CDATA[ Lobsang Gelek | Radio Free Asia They had interfered with local government and spread ‘the evil influence’ of religion, state-controlled Tibetan media say. A court in China’s Tibet Autonomous Region has sentenced 12 Tibetan villagers to prison terms of from one to almost two years for running “a criminal gang,” state media said on […]

The Environmental Nightmare of China’s One Belt, One Road Initiative

A letter from a Reader | Published on EPOCH TIMES Editor’s Note: This letter was submitted by Henri Malosse, a member of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), in which he served as president from April 2013 to October 2015. In April, Beijing announced that 115 governments had signed up to its One Belt, One […]

China Slams Anti-Pollution Efforts in Major Cities, Detains Dozens

Xi Wang  |  Radio Free Asia The ruling Chinese Communist Party has hit out at the country’s three megacities for failing to meet pollution targets, while authorities detained 61 people on charges linked to pollution. Leaders of Beijing, Shanghai, and Chongqing were found to have provided “inadequate” environmental protection to their 85 million residents, according […]

China Jails Tiananmen Protest Veteran For Four Years After Grave Visit

Qiao Long  |  Radio Free Asia A court in the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan on Friday handed down a four-year jail term to a veteran rights activist detained after visiting the grave of a 1989 Tiananmen massacre victim in 2015, finding him guilty of a public order offense. The Wuhou District People’s Court in […]

China Promises “Blue Skies” as Smog Persists

Michael Lelyveld  |  Radio Free Asia After setbacks for plans to clean up its coal and steel industries, China’s government is trying not to repeat its mistakes in 2017 as it promises “to make our skies blue again.” Premier Li Keqiang made the pledge Sunday at the start of China’s annual legislative sessions after the […]

Thousands Protest Aluminum Plant in Chinese Oil City of Daqing

Yang Fan  |  Radio Free Asia Thousands of people took to the streets of northeastern China’s Heilongjiang province on Tuesday in protest over plans to build an aluminum plant near their home, protesters told RFA. The protesters marched through the streets of the oil city of Daqing, in what local residents was a third day […]

China Reins in Smog Warnings Amid ‘Confusion’ Over Pollution Alerts

Yang Fan  |  Radio Free Asia China’s meteorological bureau may be ordered to stop issuing smog warnings, sparking fears that the government may be getting ready to censor air pollution data centrally. The country’s Meteorological Administration reportedly told regional bureaus on Tuesday to “immediately stop issuing smog alerts,” in a photograph of an official notice […]

China Blocks UN Resolution to Curb Lead in Paint

Amy Yee  |  Voice of America China blocked a much-anticipated United Nations resolution to curb lead in paint during last-ditch negotiations at the U.N. Environment Assembly (UNEA) in Nairobi. A campaign to phase out lead paint in developing countries was high on the agenda at last week’s global “parliament of the environment.” China was the […]

Death of Activist in Chinese Custody Sparks Outcry

Shannon Van Sant  |  Voice of America HONG KONG— The death of an environmental activist in police custody has sparked an outcry in China and highlights growing discontent among the country’s middle class. Relatives have said Lei Yang left his home this month in Beijing to pick up a relative from the airport.  Within a couple […]