Introduction – EN

Who we are

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.

Circle 19 bases its advocacy on Chinese intellectual references, which demonstrate that the right to information has always been present in Chinese history, reaffirm the importance of independent journalism for contemporary China, and put forward the necessity of the right to information for the development of the PRC.

The group’s name, Circle 19, refers to Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that enshrines the right to freedom of opinion and expression. 

Circle 19 was gradually formed from 2019 and now gathers around thirty journalists, scholars, and China experts whose details are not public for security reasons. The group is supported by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

What we strive for

Circle 19 strives to develop and disseminate a narrative countering the Chinese regime’s with factual elements and undeniable proofs that the right to information is essential to the development of Chinese society. Circle 19’s production aspires to become a reference for academics, human rights advocates and politicians.

The surge of demand for independent information in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) during the pandemic and, more recently, during the “A4 protests,” demonstrates the interest of the Chinese public towards independent information regardless of the official discourse and against the backdrop of increased censorship and information control.

What we do

We offer the Chinese public with factual information to counter the biased narrative propagated by the Chinese regime, by developing a network to spread Chinese intellectual references advocating for the full exercise of the right to information in the PRC.

We provide the Chinese public with resources to get independent information despite censorship, by facilitating access to tools circumventing the “Great Firewall” and by informing on Chinese-language independent media platforms.

We obtain concrete support from the international community by promoting worldwide the Chinese intellectual references advocating for the full exercise of the right to information in the PRC.