May 3 is World Press Freedom Day, and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has released the 2024 World Press Freedom Index ranking. In this year’s index, China (Communist Party) holds the 172nd position out of 180 countries and territories, with the highest number of imprisoned journalists in the world.
The Paris-based organization advocating for press freedom stated that the Chinese government continues strict control and censorship of information, making China the largest jailer of journalists globally.
The report highlights that not only does the Chinese government detain more journalists than any other country, but it also maintains strict control over information channels, implementing content censorship and surveillance policies to manage online content and restrict the dissemination of information deemed sensitive or contradictory to the CCP’s agenda.
Despite a slight improvement in China’s ranking this year compared to its 179th place in 2023, RSF Advocacy Officer Aleksandra Bielakowsk told Voice of America that the sole reason for this change is the decline in press freedom in other countries.
Bielakowsk emphasized that there have been no improvements in China’s treatment of journalists. It remains the country with the highest number of imprisoned journalists worldwide, currently detaining 119 journalists, including 10 from Hong Kong.
Citing incidents such as the suspicious death of dissident and independent journalist Sun Lin in Nanjing in November 2023, and the 15-year sentence imposed on anti-corruption journalist Shang Guanyun in January 2024, Bielakowsk pointed out the deteriorating security and unchanged oppression against journalists in China.
The Press Freedom Index for Hong Kong slightly rose to 135th place this year from 140th in 2023. However, according to Bielakowsk, the implementation of the National Security Law in 2020 led to increased persecution of journalists, resulting in a decline in press freedom in Hong Kong.
The situation in Hong Kong has not improved, with the enactment of new laws that could lead to severe penalties for inciting subversion or espionage, widely used by Chinese authorities to suppress journalists and independent voices.
Even though some regions saw a decline in ratings compared to the previous year, leading to a rise in rankings due to other areas’ decreased performance, Hong Kong’s press freedom score dropped by 1.8 points.
With over half of the global population participating in the 2024 index, RSF warned of a worrying trend revealing a decline in political indicators, one of the five indicators detailed in the index. The role of countries and other political forces in safeguarding press freedom is weakening.
Since 1995, RSF has been publishing this annual statistical report.
On May 1, the New York-based PEN America released the Freedom to Write Index 2023.
According to the report, China imprisoned a total of 107 writers last year, marking the fifth consecutive year in the top spot globally and surpassing 100 individuals for the first time.
The analysis revealed that out of the 107 writers detained in China, 50 were convicted on vague charges like causing trouble for criticizing official policies online or expressing political and economic views supporting democracy.
On January 18, the Committee to Protect Journalists unveiled the status of journalists imprisoned globally in 2023, with China once again topping the list with 44 journalists behind bars.
Among the detained Chinese journalists, 19 were Uighur journalists, raising concerns from the international community.
The crackdown on freedom of speech in China has only intensified, with even mild criticism becoming increasingly intolerable.
Analysts have noted that in China, “there is only one voice allowed, that of CCP leader Xi Jinping.” Any expression contrary to this voice is subject to suppression.