China targeting citizens abroad for political activismAFP, LONDONChina is targeting citizens studying abroad for their political activism, rights group Amnesty International said yesterday, with some students reporting harassment of family members back home. China does not tolerate political dissent and has used sophisticated tech tools and intimidation to crack down on domestic protesters and activists. Moreover, Beijing’s curbs on political activism are increasingly expanding abroad in the form of “transnational repression,” Amnesty International said in a report, citing interviews with dozens of students in eight European and North American countries. Photo: ReutersOverseas students reported that family members in China received threats after they attended events abroad, including commemorations of the bloody 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, the group said. It has previously rejected claims that it targets citizens living abroad, insisting that it respects other countries’ sovereignty and that any policing operations are conducted in accordance with the law.
