'Serious Concern' Expressed Over China's Crackdown on Media

Freedom House expressed "serious concern" over China's shut down of a newspaper supplement which ran articles on sensitive social and political issues.

"The Chinese government's closure of Freezing Point is the most recent illustration of the commitment by the Chinese Communist Party to smother free expression," said Jennifer Windsor, executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group, in a statement yesterday.

The 11-year-old Bing Dian (Freezing Point), a four-page weekly supplement of the state-run China Youth Daily, was closed late Tuesday until "improvements" were made, said a staff member at Bing Dian, according to the Associated Press.

While staff at Bing Dian expressed bewilderment with the shut down, the measure by the Chinese government to suppress the media and the freedom of expression is not new.

Last year, 79 newspapers were banned as they were deemed illegal. And less than a month ago, authorities fired the editor of Beijing News, which is also known for reporting on sensitive subjects.

Recently, a virtual tool – the "Shenzhen Internet Police" – was launched to tighten control on "sensitive" internet content. The crackdown on internet information also applies to persecution news or other religious news criticizing the government.

China was ranked as "Not Free" in Freedom House's annual survey – Freedom in the World – on civil liberties and political rights, which was released in December.