Washington, Feb 5 (NationPress) The Chinese government has escalated its repression within its borders in 2025, according to the rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) in their 2026 World Report.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has instructed the government to enforce ideological conformity and allegiance to both him and the Chinese Communist Party, as noted in the HRW report. Communities such as the Uyghurs, Tibetans, and members of unofficial churches are experiencing the most extreme violations of their rights. Furthermore, repression has also intensified in Hong Kong, the report states.

Maya Wang, the Deputy Asia Director at Human Rights Watch, remarked, "The Chinese government under Xi Jinping has accumulated an increasingly alarming human rights record, widening its crackdown on essential freedoms. Foreign nations have largely hesitated to confront the threats posed by the Chinese government to the global human rights framework, including within China itself," she commented.

In its comprehensive 529-page World Report 2026, HRW assesses human rights conditions in over 100 countries. The HRW report indicates that Xi Jinping visited Tibet in August and Xinjiang in September, primarily to demonstrate his government's firm grip on control. The Chinese government is projected to introduce a draft law aimed at legitimizing the oppression of minorities, enhancing ideological control, and extending influence abroad.

The report highlights that thousands of Uyghurs continue to be unjustly imprisoned in China. Additionally, the government has prohibited celebrations for the 90th birthday of Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama in Tibet. Repression has escalated following the implementation of the National Security Law in Hong Kong.

According to HRW, "The Chinese government's initiative to 'sinicize' religions—reshaping them to propagate Party ideology—has resulted in an intensified crackdown on 'house churches,' Protestant groups resisting affiliation with the official church. In April, a court in Shanxi province reportedly sentenced over a dozen individuals connected to the Linfen Golden Lampstand Church on allegations of 'fraud'," the report stated.

"In October, authorities arrested nearly 30 members of Zion Church, including its pastor. The government has arbitrarily detained and imprisoned individuals for exercising their basic rights," the report indicated.

Additionally, China has stepped up efforts to silence diaspora communities that have spoken out against government abuses, harassing their families and friends in China, while detaining those who return, with the arrest of France-based student activist Tara Zhang Yadi being the most recent case.

HRW has called on the Chinese government to halt its crimes against humanity and other abuses in Xinjian, revoke Hong Kong’s national security laws, permit independent observers to access Tibet and Xinjiang, and release detained human rights defenders in China.