The Chinese government intensified its repression across the country in 2025 according to the latest Human Rights Watch World Report 2026. President Xi Jinping mobilized the government to impose strict ideological conformity and loyalty to him and the Chinese Communist Party during 2025. Consequently, Tibetans, Uyghurs, and members of unofficial churches now face the most severe suppression of their fundamental human rights in decades. Maya Wang stated that the Chinese government under Xi Jinping has amassed an increasingly disastrous human rights record by expanding its crackdown.
Escalating Suppression in Hong Kong
Repression in Hong Kong has escalated quickly five years after authorities first imposed the draconian National Security Law on the administrative region. For instance, the League of Social Democrats disbanded recently because it remained the last active pro-democracy party within the global financial hub.
Furthermore, authorities used national security laws to prosecute a family member of a critic based abroad for the very first time. Numerous pro-democracy leaders currently remain in jail, including Jimmy Lai, who was the founder of the now-shuttered Apple Daily newspaper.
Targeting Tibet and Xinjiang Minorities
Xi Jinping visited Tibet and Xinjiang during late 2025 primarily to demonstrate his government’s strong control over these restive minority regions. Specifically, the government banned celebrations of the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday while thousands of Uyghurs still remain unjustly imprisoned today.
Moreover, officials are currently expected to pass a new draft law that will further justify the continued repression of ethnic minorities. These legal measures facilitate intensifying ideological control while fostering Chinese government influence and control over diaspora communities living abroad.
The Sinicization of Religion
The state’s campaign to “sinicize” religions retooled various faiths so they propagate official Party ideology instead of traditional spiritual beliefs. Authorities recently sentenced over a dozen people from the Linfen Golden Lampstand Church for fraud as part of this systematic crackdown.
Similarly, police arrested nearly thirty affiliates of the Zion Church, including its pastor, because they resisted joining the official state church. These arbitrary detentions demonstrate a growing intolerance for any religious organization that maintains independence from the central Communist Party leadership.
Transnational Repression and Silencing Dissent
Beijing intensified efforts to silence vocal diaspora communities by harassing their families in China and even imprisoning those who choose to return. Recent examples include the arrest of student activist Tara Zhang Yadi and threats against filmmakers at the IndieChina film festival in New York.
Human Rights Watch argues that foreign governments remain largely unwilling to push back against these growing threats to global human rights. Consequently, the Chinese government continues to expand its reach to suppress critics who are living far beyond its physical borders.
A Call for Global Solidarity
Executive Director Philippe Bolopion writes that breaking the authoritarian wave sweeping across the globe is the greatest challenge for this generation. He specifically calls on rights-respecting democracies and civil society to build a strategic alliance to defend fundamental freedoms against these threats.
Human Rights Watch maintains that the Chinese government should immediately end its crimes against humanity and other abuses throughout the Xinjiang region. Furthermore, authorities must revoke Hong Kong’s national security laws and allow independent observers full access to both Tibet and Xinjiang.
Questions and Answers
How has the situation for pro-democracy parties in Hong Kong changed?
The League of Social Democrats, which was the last active pro-democracy party in Hong Kong, recently disbanded due to escalating government repression.
What is the “sinicization” of religion in China?
It is a government campaign to retool religious practices so that they actively propagate Communist Party ideology rather than traditional spiritual teachings.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is transnational repression?
Transnational repression refers to the Chinese government’s efforts to silence critics living abroad by harassing their families or arresting activists in other countries.
Who is Jimmy Lai?
Jimmy Lai is a prominent pro-democracy leader and the founder of the Apple Daily newspaper who remains imprisoned under Hong Kong’s security laws.
What does the World Report 2026 cover?
The 529-page report reviews human rights practices in more than 100 countries and marks the 36th edition of this annual global review.
