News Snapshot:
On Wednesday, a well-known civil rights activist in China who had demanded that President Xi Jinping step down on the grounds that he is “simply not smart enough” was tried behind closed doors on allegations of subverting state authority. Before a crucial gathering this fall, when Xi is anticipated to further tighten his grip on power with an almost unprecedented third term, the ruling Communist Party is doubling down on silencing opposition. Xu Zhiyong, a veteran civil rights activist and legal scholar, pleaded not guilty in front of a local court in Linshu county, eastern Shandong province, in a day-long...
