The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has sharply condemned Chinese authorities for compelling Dong Yuyu, a 64-year-old veteran journalist recovering from cancer surgery, to resume prison labour — issuing an urgent call for his immediate release on humanitarian grounds. The condemnation was issued on 4 November 2026 from New York.

Who Is Dong Yuyu

Dong Yuyu was a senior editor and columnist at the state-owned Guangming Daily, one of China's most prominent government-affiliated newspapers. He was arrested in 2022 while having lunch with a Japanese diplomat in Beijing — a meeting that Chinese authorities later characterised as evidence of espionage. In November 2024, he was convicted on espionage charges and sentenced to seven years in prison.

Cancer Diagnosis and Disputed Prison Labour Order

According to the CPJ, a tumour was detected in Dong in May 2025 after he was hospitalised with heart palpitations and significant weight loss. He subsequently underwent a major operation to remove the cancerous tumour at a prison hospital in Beijing in August 2025. His family told the CPJ that on 12 October 2025 — just weeks after that surgery — authorities ordered him to resume prison labour. His health has reportedly declined since.

In March 2025, Dong had been transferred from Beijing Prison to Chaobai Prison in the southeastern city of Tianjin, approximately 168 kilometres from his family's home in Beijing, further limiting family contact and access to independent medical support.

What the CPJ Said

Beh Lih Yi, CPJ Asia-Pacific Director, issued a pointed statement condemning the authorities' conduct: “It is inhumane of Chinese authorities to expect 64-year-old Dong Yuyu to resume prison labor weeks after major surgery and demonstrates a blatant disregard for his life. Dong Yuyu should not even be in prison on a bogus espionage charge. Chinese authorities must halt all prison labor demands and release him on humanitarian grounds.”

Reporters Without Borders Also Raises Alarm

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has separately urged the international community to ramp up pressure on Beijing to secure Dong's release on medical parole and allow him to travel abroad for treatment and to reunite with his family. Aleksandra Bielakowska, Advocacy Manager of RSF Asia Pacific, said: “We are deeply concerned for Dong Yuyu’s health. Chinese prisons are notorious for their appalling conditions, lack of independent and high-quality medical support, and disregard for the well-being of prisoners.”

Broader Context: Press Freedom in China

China consistently ranks near the bottom of global press freedom indices. The CPJ and RSF have documented dozens of cases of journalists detained on espionage or state secrets charges — a broad legal category that critics argue is routinely weaponised against reporters who maintain contact with foreign nationals, including diplomats. Dong's case is notable because his arrest stemmed directly from what his supporters describe as a routine professional lunch. This is not an isolated incident; it fits a documented pattern of journalists being targeted through national security legislation that offers little procedural protection.

With two major press freedom organisations now publicly demanding his release, international scrutiny of Dong Yuyu's case is likely to intensify in the weeks ahead.