EXCLUSIVE Revealed: The dark truth about the thousands of Chinese babies snatched from their mothers and sold to childless couples in Britain and America
Abandoned by her parents, Fu Lian Doble was left outside a bank on a wintry Boxing Day in 1999. Or at least that is according to records kept by the Chinese orphanage that took her in. But in adult life, having been adopted by a British couple she calls mum and dad, she has discovered this is almost certainly a lie because the orphanage has been exposed for buying and selling babies for international adoption.
'It really hit home how much of our identity is grounded on just a few pieces of paper, and we can't even trust those,' she says.
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The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Hong Kong's security net extends beyond arrests as small businesses pressured
It's been years since mass arrests all but silenced pro-democracy activism in Hong Kong. But a crackdown on dissent in the semiautonomous Chinese city is still expanding, hitting restaurants, bookstores and other small businesses. Shops and eateries owned by people once associated with the largely subdued pro-democracy movement are feeling a tightening grip through increased official inspections, anonymous complaint letters and other regulatory checks. Those critical of the city's political changes say it's a less visible side of a push to silence dissent that began five years ago when Beijing imposed a national security law to crush challenges to its rule, under which opposition politicians were jailed and pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily was shuttered. China said the law was necessary for the city's stability following anti-government protests in 2019. In 2024, the city passed its own national security law, which has been used to jail people for actions like writing pro-independence messages on the back of bus seats and wearing a T-shirt carrying a protest slogan that authorities deemed could imply the separation of Hong Kong from China, a red line for Beijing. In recent weeks, food authorities sent letters to restaurants warning that their business licenses could be revoked if the government deems them to be endangering national security or public interest. Frequent inspections Leticia Wong, a former pro-democracy district councilor who now runs a bookstore, says her shop is frequently visited by food and hygiene inspectors, the fire department or other authorities over complaints about issues like hosting events without a license. It happens most often around June 4, the anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. Her records show government authorities took measures against her shop some 92 times between July 2022 and June 2025, including inspecting her shop, conspicuously patrolling outside, or sending letters warning her of violations. She has been studying regulations to protect herself from accidentally breaking them. "Some areas look trivial — and they really are — but they still have the power to make you face consequences," she said. In an emailed reply to The Associated Press, the fire department said it conducted checks at Wong's business following multiple complaints this year. Wong's bookstore passed most of them but still faces enforcement action for failing to provide valid certificates for two fire extinguishers and its emergency lighting system, it said. Other small business owners described similar experiences. A bakery that put up pro-democracy decorations during the 2019 protests saw food authorities' inspections jump from quarterly to monthly over the past one to two years, mostly over labeling complaints. Its owner, who asked to remain anonymous fearing government retribution, said the frequent inspections made running the business a struggle. A restaurant owner who received the notice of the newly added terms on possible license revocation over national security violations said he doesn't know what could be considered a violation and fears one wrong move could cost his staff their jobs. He spoke on the condition of anonymity, fearing potential impact on his business partners and employees. Food authorities said inspections follow the law, information and public complaints. They maintained that the new national security conditions for food business licenses were clearly defined and would not affect law-abiding operators. The Hong Kong Chief Executive's office has not immediately commented. Anonymous denunciations Others say they have lost opportunities after anonymous letters were sent to employers or business partners. Wong said an anonymous letter sent to an organization that had planned an event at her shop prompted them to cancel the booking. Separately, she lost a freelance job after a funder demanded that a social enterprise not hire her without a specific reason. Her landlord also received an anonymous letter warning them not to rent the space to her. 'I feel that this society is working very hard — that is, within the system, under the official system, working very hard to reject me, or to make my life difficult,' Wong said. Chan Kim-kam, another former district councilor, says she lost both a part-time job and a role in a play after the people she worked for were pressured. A school where she taught sociology part-time asked her to leave after it received a letter claiming that she made a student uncomfortable. The letter, which was written in the simplified Chinese characters used in mainland China but less prominently in Hong Kong, included links to news reports about her arrest under the homegrown national security law last year, though she was never charged. Meanwhile, the city's Leisure and Cultural Services Department told her drama group to replace her or lose their venue, she said. 'I think it's really such a pity. When the culture of reporting people has become so intense, it destroys the trust between people,' she said. Cultural authorities, declining to discuss specific bookings, said all their venue bookings were managed under established procedures. Rule of law in question Hong Kong leader John Lee has said the security law upholds the rule of law principle and only an extremely small portion of people were targeted. He noted 332 people have been arrested for offenses related to national security, about 66 each year on average, or 0.2% of the police's annual arrest figures. Still, he warned of persisting soft resistance, saying 'the streets are full of petty people.' Local broadcaster i-Cable News said national security guidelines would be issued to government workers. Secretary for Security Chris Tang told the broadcaster that even a cleaner should report words endangering national security, if any are found during their job. But Eric Lai, a research fellow at Georgetown Center for Asian Law, said Hong Kong is using regulatory powers to monitor and regulate dissent without checks and balances. Local courts were unable to check the powers granted to the government under the security laws, he said. It fits a common pattern among undemocratic governments like mainland China, he said. In many cases across the border, law enforcement officers frequently harass and surveil dissenters without formal charges. 'It tells the world that the so-called rule of law in Hong Kong is only a facade of rule by men,' he said. Outside a court on Jun. 12, members of the pro-democracy party League of Social Democrats protested against their convictions over street booth activities with a banner that says 'rule of law in name, silencing voices in reality.' They were fined for collecting money without a permit and displaying posters without approval. The judge said freedom of expression was not absolute and restrictions could be imposed to maintain public order. On Sunday, the party announced it had dissolved, citing immense political pressure and consideration of consequences for its members, months after the city's biggest pro-democracy party announced to move toward disbandment. Its chairperson Chan Po-ying wiped away tears at the news conference. 'In the past, the government said it focused on a small portion of people. Now, it includes various kinds of people in Hong Kong, ordinary residents,' she said.
BBC News
7 hours ago
- BBC News
Haitang: China is cracking down on young women who write gay erotica
"I've been warned not to talk about it," the woman wrote, before revealing snippets of the day she says she was arrested for publishing gay erotica."I'll never forget it - being escorted to the car in full view, enduring the humiliation of stripping naked for examination in front of strangers, putting on a vest for photos, sitting in the chair, shaking with fear, my heart pounding."The handle, Pingping Anan Yongfu, is among at least eight in recent months which have shared accounts on Chinese social media platform Weibo of being arrested for publishing gay erotic fiction. As authors recounted their experiences, dozens of lawyers offered pro bono least 30 writers, nearly all of them women in their 20s, have been arrested across the country since February, a lawyer defending one told the BBC. Many are out on bail or awaiting trial, but some are still in custody. Another lawyer told the BBC that many more contributors were summoned for had published their work on Haitang Literature City, a Taiwan-hosted platform known for its "danmei", the genre of so-called boys' love and erotic fiction. Think of it as a gay version of Fifty Shades of Grey: a BDSM relationship that leads to a happily-ever-after. That's a frequent trope, across historical, fantasy or sci-fi settings. Over the years it has cultivated a fiercely devoted following, especially among young Chinese authors are being accused of breaking China's pornography law for "producing and distributing obscene material". Writers who earn a profit could be jailed for more than 10 law targets "explicit descriptions of gay sex or other sexual perversions". Heterosexual depictions often have more leeway - works by acclaimed Chinese authors, including Nobel Laureate Mo Yan, have graphic sexual scenes, but are widely available. Although authors of heterosexual erotica have been jailed in China, observers say the genre is subjected to far less censorship. Gay erotica, which is more subversive, seems to bother authorities more. Volunteers in a support group for the Haitang writers told the BBC police even questioned some who reported being arrested declined to be interviewed, fearing repercussions. Police in the northwestern city of Lanzhou, who are accused of driving this crackdown, have not responded to the the crackdown has unleashed a debate - and a rarer pushback against the law."Is sex really something to be ashamed of?" a Weibo user asked, arguing that China's anti-obscenity laws are out of touch. Another wrote that women never get to decide what is obscene because they don't control the narrative. Even legal scholars have expressed concern that just 5,000 views for anything deemed "obscene" qualifies as criminal "distribution", lowering the bar to arrest made Beijing uneasy enough that discussions have been vanishing: #HaitangAuthorsArrested drew more than 30 million views on Weibo before it was censored. Posts offering legal advice are gone. A prominent Chinese news site's story has been taken down. Writers' accounts, and some of the handles, are also Pingping Anan Yongfu's post went viral, she deleted it and wrote another, thanking supporters and admitting her writing had violated the law. She then deleted her that last post, she had written: "I was always the good girl in my parents' eyes. But that day, I brought them nothing but shame. They'll never hold their heads up again." Danmei: The uncrowned royal of pop culture These women have long worked in the shadows in China, where homosexuality and eroticism are stigmatised. Now outed by police investigations, they face social consequences that are as brutal as the legal ones. "In that moment, all I felt was shame," posted a writer whose Weibo handle translates to "the world is a huge psychiatric hospital". She said the police pulled her out of class in college - and her classmates watched as they followed her to search her dorm."I earned my money word by word at a keyboard. But once it went south, it was as if none of that mattered. People treated me like I'd made money without ever working for it."Another wrote the police had been kind, advising her to speak to a lawyer and return her "illegal earnings" to reduce her sentence. "I'm only 20. So young, and I've already ruined my life so early."A third said: "I never imagined a day would come when every word I once wrote would come back to haunt me."One author who has been writing danmei novels for 20 years was not questioned but she says the crackdown won't stop her. "This is how I find happiness. And I can't let go of the connections I have made with the community."Inspired by Japanese boys' love manga, danmei emerged as a sub-genre online in the 1990s. It has become hugely successful, with some of the novels appearing on international bestseller lists. In 2021, 60 of them were optioned for film and TV adaptations. The most expensive IP reportedly sold for 40 million yuan ($5.6 million; £4.1 million). Some of China's biggest stars, such as Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo, began their careers on streaming shows based on danmei novels. In short, it's the rebellious royal of pop culture - too popular to ignore, too controversial to it is a signature offering on Haitang, which, in Mandarin, is a flower that blooms in every shade of Haitang and danmei have flourished as uniquely female spaces, although they centre male protagonists. In a culture where female sexual desire is routinely policed, danmei beceme a coded, creative outlet - a space where women can write about female desire for other is exactly what makes danmei so "subversive", says Dr Liang Ge, who teaches digital sociology at University College London. It allows women to "detach from gendered realities", which they often associate with marriage and instance, in danmei stories, men can get pregnant and are at ease with being vulnerable – a stark contrast from the often unequal relationships many Chinese women struggle with in real life."Danmei frees me from thinking about all those potential dangers in relationships in traditional heterosexual romance," explains one writer who has been active in the danmei world for a novels are not without their critics, because some do contain extreme and violent scenes. "As a parent, how many of us can accept our children reading novels like this, let alone writing them?" asked one Weibo age of authors has also been a concern: a handful of those the BBC spoke to said they all started reading and writing gay erotica before they turned 18, some as young as 11. It's a problem the community should acknowledge and address, said Ma, a danmei writer who only shared her surname, adding that this is a problem for all adult content because China does not restrict content by danmei in particular has increasingly come under attack in the last decade as Beijing launched a series of campaigns to "clean up" the internet. In 2018 a danmei author was jailed for 10 years for selling 7,000 copies of her book titled Occupy. 'My earnings were evidence of my crime' As marriage and birth rates plummet, and China's leader Xi Jinping encourages a national rejuvenation, so state scrutiny of danmei has ratcheted up, Dr Ge says."The Chinese government wants to promote traditional family values and liking danmei novels is seen as a factor in making women less willing to have children," Dr Ge is the second wave of mass arrests in less than a year - late last year, some 50 Haitang writers were prosecuted. A famous author who earned about 1.85 million yuan was jailed for nearly five two crackdowns are similar, according to a lawyer who had represented some of the defendants last year, "but this time, even those with minor involvement weren't spared".A lawyer offering free legal advice said more than 150 people requested consultations in just two days. Many of those contacting her had not been charged yet - they were terrified about the possibility though."This is classic offshore fishing," says a lawyer who authored a "practical guide" to assist Haitang writers. The term refers to overreach by local police - those in Lanzhou summoned writers in various places, arguably beyond their reported paying out of pocket to fly to Lanzhou. One posted that the 2,000 yuan earned from two books on Haitang paid for the year too all the arrests were by police in Jixi County in eastern China. Indebted local governments have done this before to earn revenue through fines, sometimes forcing a warning from the central government. Cyber crimes are particularly prone to this "as long as they claim a local reader was corrupted", the lawyer says. Danmei writers know tolerance can be fickle. It's why they skirt censorship with metaphors. "Making dinner" means sex; "kitchen tool" is code for male the recent crackdown stunned them. "A phone call shattered my dreams," is how one writer described the call from accused police of searching their phone without a warrant. They said their crime was assessed by adding up the views for each chapter - a method they argued was misleading, as it likely exaggerated the danmei author posted: "I wrote on Haitang for years, with only a handful of readers. Then, those overlooked stories accumulated over 300,000 clicks, and the 4,000 yuan in royalties sitting in my account became evidence of my crime."It's hard to know if this spells the end of their careers on Haitang."If I could go back, I'd still choose to write. And I will keep writing," wrote the handle Sijin de Sijin."Right now, I can only hope the law will see beyond the words on the page - and see the girl who skipped meals to save money, the girl who sold her hair to buy a pen, the girl who believed her mind could carve a way through fate. I hope it gives all of us a fair chance."Additional reporting by Grace Tsoi in Hong Kong
The Guardian
9 hours ago
- The Guardian
Morning Mail: influencers on notice over gambling sites, warning of new Israeli offensive in Gaza, Oscar Piastri second in Austria GP
Good morning. Online influencers have been inadvertently promoting a gambling company that poses as an Australian outfit but is instead licensed and regulated in a tiny island off the east coast of Africa. Meanwhile, the government claims China is trying to take undue credit for development projects in the Pacific that are in fact funded by many nations, including Australia. And: tens of thousands of Palestinians are again on the move in Gaza, fleeing eastern parts of Gaza City as Israel's military warns it is preparing for a renewed offensive. 'It's not Chinese assistance' | China is bolstering its influence in the Pacific by 'branding' development work – funded in significant part by Australia – as Chinese projects, the government says. Exclusive | Australian social media influencers have been warned after several accounts inadvertently promoted illegal offshore bookmakers. 'More doing, less reviewing' | A senior public service chief has told Labor to stop commissioning so many government reviews, warning the costly and time-consuming inquiries risk swamping bureaucrats. Scam alert | Scammers pretending to be Chinese authorities are increasingly targeting international students in Australia – fleecing them of more than $5m in just five months. Explainer | Thousands of university students will receive financial support to complete mandatory placements for the first time this week – but not everyone is happy with the changes. Gaza crisis | There are scenes of chaos as tens of thousands of Palestinians flee Gaza City after Israel warns of a major military offensive; medical staff in Gaza have been left struggling in 'post-apocalyptic' conditions as gangs fight over aid supplies. Gaza's civil defence agency said 23 Palestinians had been killed on Sunday by Israeli strikes, including at least three children. Russia-Ukraine war | Russia has fired more than 500 drones and missiles at Ukraine overnight, in a barrage that Kyiv has described as the 'most massive airstrike' of the conflict so far. Iran strikes | The UN nuclear watchdog chief says Tehran could produce enriched uranium 'in a matter of months' – contradicting US claims that Iran's nuclear sites had been 'totally obliterated'. US politics | Donald Trump has hit out at a Republican senator for refusing to back his 'big, beautiful bill'; he has also threatened to cut off New York City funds if Zohran Mamdani 'doesn't behave'; the US president is also considering forcing journalists to reveal their sources after Iran leaks. Glastonbury | The festival's organisers have said they are 'appalled' by comments made by Bob Vylan after the punk duo appeared to incite violence, leading an anti-IDF chant, something the festival said went against its ethos of 'hope, unity, peace and love'. The thrift stores dividing Australian shoppers In the cost-of-living crisis, more people are turning to op shops for clothes. Among the secondhand shops is Savers, a US for-profit that claims to offer a more sustainable alternative. But some shoppers have mixed feelings about its business model. Jonathan Barrett speaks with Reged Ahmad about why there are questions around the retailer – even as those shunning fast fashion say it's more sustainable. Sorry your browser does not support audio - but you can download here and listen $ Bougainville fought a war to shut down Panguna mine. Now it wants to reopen it. The reviled foreign project that once buried villages under rubble and turned rivers toxic blue holds hope today for unity, prosperity and freedom. But, as Ben Doherty and Mike Bowers find out, some say the island risks repeating the mistakes of the past. Plus: Mike Bowers shares his reunion with a man who kept him alive in Bougainville 28 years ago. Sign up to Morning Mail Our Australian morning briefing breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Australian film-maker Gabrielle Brady's works have earned international recognition even as her home country has been slow to catch up. For her latest film, The Wolves Always Come at Night, she worked with a Mongolian couple displaced from their farmland – creating a work that invites audiences, festival programmers, critics, and peers to contend with what is, for many, still a new format: the hybrid documentary. Motorsport | Lando Norris held off Australian driver Oscar Piastri to win the Austrian F1 GP after Max Verstappen crashed out early. AFL | Tom Lynch has a role to play in Richmond's rebuild but he failed against Adelaide, Jonathan Horn writes. Football | The Matildas were denied victory after a late Slovenia equaliser soured improved performance; Paris-Saint Germain have thrashed Inter Miami 4-0 in their Club World Cup last 16 matchup. Rugby union | Australian rugby's incendiary attitude towards nationality needs extinguishing, Robert Kitson writes. Australia is headed for a $27bn collapse in income from liquefied gas and iron ore as Donald Trump's trade war with China hits home, the Age reports. The Australian says Xi Jinping's top diplomat in Australia has warned Anthony Albanese that increasing military spending will undermine economic development. And according to the Sydney Morning Herald, the Minns government is being urged to move faster on overhauling drug policy in New South Wales. NSW | A public hearing is being held at the state parliament in the inquiry into infrastructure for electric vehicles. Victoria | The judge is due to finish giving directions to the jury in the Erin Patterson trial in Morwell before they retire to deliberate. Queensland | Treasurer David Janetzki is set to give the Queensland state budget address in Brisbane at lunchtime. Western Australia | An inquest into the death of Cleveland Dodd, who died in custody, is due to be held in Perth. If you would like to receive this Morning Mail update to your email inbox every weekday, sign up here, or finish your day with our Afternoon Update newsletter. You can follow the latest in US politics by signing up for This Week in Trumpland. And finally, here are the Guardian's crosswords to keep you entertained throughout the day. Until tomorrow. Quick crossword Cryptic crossword
