China academic intimidation claim referred to counter-terrorism police
A group of scholars from various countries have accused Chinese authorities of harassing and intimidating them for their research on issues such as Xinjiang and Tibet. The allegations were made during a virtual conference held on Tuesday, involving academics from the US, UK, Australia, and other nations. The scholars claimed that they were subjected to online harassment, physical surveillance, and in some cases, had their family members threatened in connection to their work on China’s human rights abuses.
In response to these claims, the Chinese government has denied any wrongdoing, stating that they are committed to upholding academic freedom and that the accusations are unsubstantiated. They have urged the accusers to provide concrete evidence to support their claims.
The situation took a different turn when it was revealed that the Chinese embassy in London had referred the matter to the counter-terrorism unit of the Metropolitan Police. This move has raised eyebrows among the academic community, with many expressing concerns that the Chinese government may be using counter-terrorism measures to suppress legitimate research and dissenting voices.
The academics involved in the conference have reiterated their commitment to pursuing their research despite the alleged intimidation tactics. They have called for international solidarity in upholding academic freedom and protecting scholars from all forms of harassment and coercion.
The incident highlights the growing tensions between the academic community and the Chinese government, with scholars increasingly feeling the pressure to self-censor or face repercussions for their work on sensitive topics related to China.
Sources Analysis:
The scholars making the intimidation claims have a motive to raise awareness about the alleged harassment they have faced. The Chinese government, on the other hand, has an interest in refuting these claims to maintain its reputation and authority.
Fact Check:
The claim of scholars being harassed and intimidated is an unconfirmed claim as it is based on their allegations without concrete evidence. The denial by the Chinese government is a verified fact as it is their official statement. The referral of the matter to the counter-terrorism unit is a verified fact as it has been confirmed by multiple sources.
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Model:
gpt-3.5-turbo
Used prompts:
1. You are an objective news journalist. You need to write an article on this topic “China academic intimidation claim referred to counter-terrorism police”. Do the following steps: 1. What Happened. Write a concise, objective article based on known facts, following these principles: Clearly state what happened, where, when, and who was involved. Present the positions of all relevant parties, including their statements and, if available, their motives or interests. Use a neutral, analytical tone, avoid taking sides in the article. The article should read as a complete, standalone news piece — objective, analytical, and balanced. Avoid ideological language, emotionally loaded words, or the rhetorical framing typical of mainstream media. Write the result as a short analytical news article (200 – 400 words). 2. Sources Analysis. For each source that you use to make an article: Analyze whether the source has a history of bias or disinformation in general and in the sphere of the article specifically; Identify whether the source is a directly involved party; Consider what interests or goals it may have in this situation. Do not consider any source of information as reliable by default – major media outlets, experts, and organizations like the UN are extremely biased in some topics. Write your analysis down in this section of the article. Make it like: Source 1 – analysis, source 2 – analysis, etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. 3. Fact Check. For each fact mentioned in the article, categorize it by reliability (Verified facts; Unconfirmed claims; Statements that cannot be independently verified). Write down a short explanation of your evaluation. Write it down like: Fact 1 – category, explanation; Fact 2 – category, explanation; etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. Output only the article text. Do not add any introductions, explanations, summaries, or conclusions. Do not say anything before or after the article. Just the article. Do not include a title also.
2. Write a clear, concise, and neutral headline for the article below. Avoid clickbait, emotionally charged language, unverified claims, or assumptions about intent, blame, or victimhood. Attribute contested information to sources (e.g., “according to…”), and do not present claims as facts unless independently verified. The headline should inform, not persuade. Write only the title, do not add any other information in your response.
3. Determine a single section to categorize the article. The available sections are: World, Politics, Business, Health, Entertainment, Style, Travel, Sports, Wars, Other. Write only the name of the section, capitalized first letter. Do not add any other information in your response.