China is world's 'biggest captor' of journalists: Reporters Without Borders

Beijing: At least 127 journalists are currently under detention in China for reporting on `sensitive` topics, said Reporters Without Borders while adding that the country is the world`s biggest captor of journalists.

The journalists have been detained for reporting and publishing content that has been deemed `sensitive` by the ruling Chinese Communist Party. As informed by Reporters Without Borders, these journalists also include professional and non-professional media workers.

127 journalists currently in detention in China

"At least 127 journalists (professional and non-professional) are currently detained by the regime," Reporters Without Borders informed in a report, revealing the extent of the regime`s campaign of repression against the right to information.

"The simple act of investigating a "sensitive" topic or publishing censored information can result in years of detention in unsanitary prisons, where ill-treatment can lead to death," the watchdog added in the report.

The RSF report has also revealed how journalists are being forced to become Chinese President Xi Jinping`s mouthpiece. As per the report, in order to receive and renew their press cards, journalists will soon have to undergo a 90-hour annual training partly focusing on Xi Jinping`s "thought".

Meanwhile, the Chinese government has also unveiled a series of plans that are seen to further consolidate the CCP`s control over the media.

Beijing has been using media as an important tool for asserting power and enhancing its narrative in international discourse. China has been bankrolling scholars, journalists, and experts abroad, censoring domestic media while keeping a tab on Chinese Diaspora abroad, The HK Post reported. 

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