Beijing Targets U.S.-Based Journalist’s Circle in Global Crackdown on Dissent

May 27, 2025 – China –

A recent investigation by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) has uncovered that the Chinese government targeted individuals connected to Shohret Hoshur, a U.S.-based journalist for Radio Free Asia (RFA), as part of a broader campaign to suppress dissent among the Uyghur diaspora. Leaked documents from the Tekes County Public Security Bureau in Xinjiang listed 42 individuals labeled as “sensitive and special” due to their association with Hoshur. These individuals, including an author who had been “dealt with by the public security authorities on political suspicion,” were subjected to surveillance and pressure by Chinese security forces.

Hoshur, who fled China in 1994 and has been reporting for RFA since 2007, has extensively covered the Chinese government’s repressive policies against Turkic peoples in Xinjiang, including the mass internment of Uyghurs. His reporting, based on exclusive information from police officers and other confidential sources, has drawn significant ire from Chinese authorities, who have accused him of encouraging terrorist acts and have allegedly retaliated against his extended family and friends.

The targeting of Hoshur’s contacts is part of a larger pattern of transnational repression by Beijing. The ICIJ’s “China Targets” investigation revealed that Chinese authorities have pursued, harassed, or threatened individuals in 23 countries for expressing dissent or engaging in peaceful activism. Tactics include digital surveillance, threats to family members still in China, and pressure campaigns carried out through diplomatic or legal channels. Notably, the investigation found that Beijing has exploited international organizations such as Interpol and the United Nations to silence critics and expand its authoritarian reach worldwide.

Despite RFA’s role in exposing human rights abuses in China, the U.S. government recently canceled funding for RFA’s parent entity, the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), effectively dismantling the news organization. This move raises concerns about the future of independent journalism focused on China’s human rights record.

The revelations underscore the Chinese government’s extensive efforts to suppress dissent beyond its borders, employing a range of tactics to intimidate and silence critics, even those residing in democratic countries.

Reference – 

https://www.icij.org/investigations/china-targets/beijing-targeted-friends-of-u-s-based-reporter-amid-campaign-against-radio-free-asia-documents-reveal/