China
Chinese journalists mourn cutting-edge Caixin editor who died under Beijing lockdown
Journalists working in China’s tightly controlled media industry are mourning the loss of a leading news and investigative editor who is believed to have taken his own life after helping others suffering from depression through his work.
Zhang Jin, former deputy editor-in-chief of Caixin Media and founder of Dogo, a social media platform for people suffering from mental illness, died on Dec. 5 at the age of 56, Caixin Global reported.
“Today we are deeply saddened. … Dogo has lost the founding father who laid the basis for our mission and business, and a leader in exploring ecological healing systems for depression,” the report quoted Zhang’s obituary on Dogo’s WeChat account as saying.
Neither the Caixin report nor the Dogo obituary said how Zhang died, but journalists told RFA he had committed suicide.
His last WeChat Moments post was dated Oct. 12 and read: “Life is like an ocean, and depression is just a vortex within that ocean, which we experience together, and go through together.”
One comment described Zhang as “a light who brought countless people out of darkness.”
A friend of Zhang’s told Radio Free Asia that he had taken his own life at a time when harsh zero-COVID restrictions in Beijing prevented him from getting the medical treatment he needed following surgery for lung cancer.
“Harsh and twisted restrictions” cut off Zhang’s access to medical treatment, leaving him with “nowhere to go to seek help,” the friend said.
“It’s heartbreaking that such a strong person who had fought this for 10 years and worked so hard to save countless lives finally chose out of a sense of helplessness and despair to end his own life,” the friend said through tears.
One of many
An industry insider said Zhang had “had a relapse into depression” but declined to be more specific.
“His funeral is being arranged by Caixin and his team,” the person said. “It has been tentatively scheduled for next Tuesday. There will be an offline memorial service, and his team will make an announcement.”
A senior journalist in Beijing who requested anonymity also said Zhang’s death had come during lockdown restrictions at his home.
“A while back in Beijing he wasn’t allowed to go anywhere, nor to go outside,” the journalist said. “But this is all basically forbidden to talk about in China.”
The friends said Zhang was one of many people in China who have struggled with mental illness under lockdown.
“There has been a big increase in people suffering from depression in China in the past three years,” the journalist said. “But there are no statistics of any kind on this kind of thing.”
In November, China’s Health Ministry said statistics on suicides under the country’s zero-COVID policy of rolling lockdowns and electronic tracking “are not for release,” following reports that a woman had killed herself in the northern region of Inner Mongolia. A former Red Cross official said such figures are regarded by the ruling Chinese Communist Party as a “state secret.”
Calls to the National Health Commission in Beijing on Thursday seeking comment on Zhang’s death and lockdown mental health issues in general had met with no response by the time of writing.
Exposing ‘China’s Enron’
A senior investigative reporter said many former investigative journalists had posted condolences, remembering him as the kind of editor who protected reporters who investigated sensitive stories.
Zhang’s former employer, Caijing, was among the first Chinese media organizations to send journalists to report from the disaster zone during the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, which left around 87,500 people dead.
Zhang had also presided over investigative reports on the SARS crisis of 2003, as well as corporate governance scandals at Yinguangxia, which was dubbed “China’s Enron,” the investigative reporter said.
Under Zhang’s leadership, Caixin also published a number of hard-hitting reports on the suppression of press freedom and purges at the Guangzhou-based Southern media group in 2012.
“We’ve lost one of the best people of our time,” the Caixin report quoted a WeChat user and former student as saying.
“I came out of the darkness only through the light of Mr. Zhang, and I am forever grateful,” it cited another comment as saying.
A ‘beloved’ editor
Zhang graduated in Chinese literature from Nanjing University before enrolling in a highly regarded graduate journalism program at Renmin University in 1988.
He worked after graduation for the trade-union newspaper, the Workers’ Daily, before joining Caijing in 2000. He co-founded Caixin in 2009.
“As an editor, Zhang was beloved by reporters for his professionalism, modesty and low profile,” the Caixin report said. “He was well known for patiently taking the time to teach junior reporters how to structure their articles, use materials, and start and finish their stories.”
He was known as a soft-spoken, studious man with messy hair and glasses, who never spoke harshly to subordinates, it said.
His articles on the WeChat platform Dogo were based on his own experiences in fighting depression, and aimed to clear up public misconceptions and prejudices about mental illness, helping depressed people understand their condition better, the report said.
Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
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China
Is journalist Vicky Xu preparing to return to China?
Chinese social media influencers have recently claimed that prominent Chinese-born Australian journalist Vicky Xu had posted a message saying she planned to return to China.
There is no evidence for this. The source did not provide evidence to support the claim, and Xu herself later confirmed to AFCL that she has no such plans.
Currently working as an analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, or ASPI, Xu has previously written for both the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, or ABC, and The New York Times.
A Chinese language netizen on X initially claimed on March 31 that the changing geopolitical relations between Sydney and Beijing had caused Xu to become an expendable asset and that she had posted a message expressing a strong desire to return to China. An illegible, blurred photo of the supposed message accompanied the post.
This claim was retweeted by a widely followed influencer on the popular Chinese social media site Weibo one day later, who additionally commented that Xu was a “traitor” who had been abandoned by Australian media.
Following the publication of an ASPI article in 2021 which exposed forced labor conditions in Xinjiang co-authored by Xu, the journalist was labeled “morally bankrupt” and “anti-China” by the Chinese state owned media outlet Global Times and subjected to an influx of threatening messages and digital abuse, eventually forcing her to temporarily close several of her social media accounts.
AFCL found that neither Xu’s active X nor LinkedIn account has any mention of her supposed return to China, and received the following response from Xu herself about the rumor:
“I can confirm that I don’t have plans to go back to China. I think if I do go back I’ll most definitely be detained or imprisoned – so the only career I’ll be having is probably going to be prison labor or something like that, which wouldn’t be ideal.”
Neither a keyword search nor reverse image search on the photo attached to the original X post turned up any text from Xu supporting the netizens’ claims.
Translated by Shen Ke. Edited by Shen Ke and Malcolm Foster.
Asia Fact Check Lab (AFCL) was established to counter disinformation in today’s complex media environment. We publish fact-checks, media-watches and in-depth reports that aim to sharpen and deepen our readers’ understanding of current affairs and public issues. If you like our content, you can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X.
Read the rest of this article here >>> Is journalist Vicky Xu preparing to return to China?
China
Guide for Foreign Residents: Obtaining a Certificate of No Criminal Record in China
Foreign residents in China can request a criminal record check from their local security bureau. This certificate may be required for visa applications or job opportunities. Requirements and procedures vary by city. In Shanghai, foreigners must have lived there for 180 days with a valid visa to obtain the certificate.
Foreign residents living in China can request a criminal record check from the local security bureau in the city in which they have lived for at least 180 days. Certificates of no criminal record may be required for people leaving China, or those who are starting a new position in China and applying for a new visa or residence permit. Taking Shanghai as an example, we outline the requirements for obtaining a China criminal record check.
Securing a Certificate of No Criminal Record, often referred to as a criminal record or criminal background check, is a crucial step for various employment opportunities, as well as visa applications and residency permits in China. Nevertheless, navigating the process can be a daunting task due to bureaucratic procedures and language barriers.
In this article, we use Shanghai as an example to explore the essential information and steps required to successfully obtain a no-criminal record check. Requirements and procedures may differ in other cities and counties in China.
Note that foreigners who are not currently living in China and need a criminal record check to apply for a Chinese visa must obtain the certificate from their country of residence or nationality, and have it notarized by a Chinese embassy or consulate in that country.
Foreigners who have a valid residence permit and have lived in Shanghai for at least 180 days can request a criminal record check in the city. This means that the applicant will also need to currently have a work, study, or other form of visa or stay permit that allows them to live in China long-term.
If a foreigner has lived in another part of China and is planning to or has recently moved to Shanghai, they will need to request a criminal record check in the place where they previously spent at least 180 days.
There are two steps to obtaining a criminal record certificate in Shanghai: requesting the criminal record check from the Public Security Bureau (PSB) and getting the resulting Certificate of No Criminal Record notarized by an authorized notary agency.
This article is republished from China Briefing. Read the rest of the original article.
China Briefing is written and produced by Dezan Shira & Associates. The practice assists foreign investors into China and has done since 1992 through offices in Beijing, Tianjin, Dalian, Qingdao, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Suzhou, Guangzhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong. Please contact the firm for assistance in China at china@dezshira.com.
China
China Unveils Plan to Upgrade Industrial Equipment
China unveiled a comprehensive action plan for upgrading industrial equipment, with a focus on driving technological innovation and economic growth. The plan, released on April 9, 2024, aims to enhance competitiveness and sustainability within the manufacturing sector through extensive investment and regulatory support.
China announced an ambitious action plan for industrial equipment upgrading, which aims to drive technological innovation and economic growth through extensive investment and regulatory support.
On April 9, 2024, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and six other departments jointly released a notice introducing the Implementation Plan for Promoting Equipment Renewal in the Industrial Sector (hereafter referred to as the “action plan”).
Finalized earlier on March 23, 2024, this comprehensive action plan addresses critical issues related to technological innovation and economic development. It reflects China’s proactive stance in enhancing competitiveness and sustainability within its manufacturing sector. The initiative underscores the recognition of industrial equipment upgrading as a top policy priority.
The scope of China’s action plan to upgrade industrial equipment in manufacturing, is extensive, covering various aspects such as:
In line with China’s ambitious goals for industrial modernization and sustainable development, the action plan outlines several key objectives aimed at driving substantial advancements in the industrial sector by 2027.
These objectives encompass a wide range of areas, from increasing investment to enhancing digitalization and promoting innovation, including:
The objectives and key actions proposed in the action plan are summarized below.
This article is republished from China Briefing. Read the rest of the original article.
China Briefing is written and produced by Dezan Shira & Associates. The practice assists foreign investors into China and has done since 1992 through offices in Beijing, Tianjin, Dalian, Qingdao, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Suzhou, Guangzhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong. Please contact the firm for assistance in China at china@dezshira.com.
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