China | Black jails and angry wails

An outrage that even China’s supine media has called out

Anger is growing over a form of detention linked to torture and deaths

An installation that is part of an exhibition by Ai Weiwei, a Chinese artist, depicts his detention
No-comfort stationPhotograph: Reuters

ON DECEMBER 19th relatives of Xing Yanjun gathered in Beijing to mourn the businessman’s death eight months earlier, allegedly by hanging himself while in police custody. At the event a document was read out. It was a statement by the police that Xing’s case had been closed “in the absence of criminal facts”. The outrage his death has caused, however, will take far longer to dissipate.

Explore more

This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline “Black jails and angry wails”

From the January 18th 2025 edition

Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents

Explore the edition

More from China

Signage of the law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP

Why foreign law firms are leaving China

A number of them are in motion to vacate

Electric vehicles in a factory car park in Chongqing, China

An initiative so feared that China has stopped saying its name

“Made in China 2025” has been a success, but at what cost?


Pedestrians in Beijing, China

A pay rise for government workers sparks anger and envy in China

The effort to improve morale has not had the intended effect


A big earthquake causes destruction in Tibet

Dozens are dead, thousands of buildings have been destroyed

Does China have the fiscal firepower to rescue its economy?

There is a fierce debate over whether it can afford to keep spending