An independent group supporting the right to information in the People’s Republic of China
Circle 19 for the right to information in the People’s Republic of China is an independent group composed of media practitioners and experts from the Chinese diaspora and the international community that aims to advocate for the right to information on the basis of Chinese intellectual sources.
Statement of Principles
Circle 19 participants collectively wrote a Statement of Principles supporting the effective exercise of the right to information in the People’s Republic of China. It reaffirms that this right is an integral part of China’s legacy but also essential for the country’s future development.
How journalism shaped the People’s Republic of China
Circle 19 selected and translated into English impactful Chinese investigative reports demonstrating the importance of journalism for the development of Chinese society.
Journalistic investigations that changed China
1979: The article that exposed the corruption of local officials in China
The article that exposed the corruption of local officials in China
2002: How a “China Business News” investigation sparkled debate on police brutality
In August 2002, plainclothes police in Yan’an (Shaanxi Province) entered the home of a married couple after receiving a tipoff that they had been watching porn. The husband, surnamed Zhang, was taken in custody and beaten up, requesting hospitalisation. Two months later, the police arrested him again on account of the previous incident under the…
2003: The article that shut down China’s 800 infamous migrant detention facilities
The article that shut down China’s 800 infamous migrant detention facilities
2003: The early days of SARS outbreak in China
The early days of SARS outbreak in China
2005: The news article that led to the strengthening of safer medical practices in Chinese hospitals
The news article that led to the strengthening of safer medical practices in Chinese hospitals
2007: The article that startled China’s environmental consciousness
The article that startled China’s environmental consciousness
2008: The article that showed how corruption contributed to the 2008 Sichuan earthquake’s terrible death count
The article that showed how corruption contributed to the 2008 Sichuan earthquake’s terrible death count
2008: The news article that led to the strengthening of Chinese food safety standards
The news article that led to the strengthening of Chinese food safety standards