
FBI chief says China threatens families to coerce overseas critics to return - spzx
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-china-wray/fbi-chief-says-china-threatens-families-to-coerce-overseas-critics-to-return-to-china-idUSKBN24825V
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stanislavb
"Wray related a case in which he said the Chinese government sent “an
emissary” to visit a family in the United States of an unidentified target who
could not be located. The emissary left a message that the target could chose
between returning to China or committing suicide, Wray said." … this sounds
disgusting and unfortunately believable :/

~~~
guardiangod
A few weeks ago a huge university entrance (gaokao) scandal was exposed in
China.

[https://www.economist.com/china/2020/07/05/as-students-
prepa...](https://www.economist.com/china/2020/07/05/as-students-prepare-for-
chinas-college-entrance-exam-a-scandal-brews)

 _CHEN CHUNXIU was applying to join an adult-education programme when she
discovered, to her surprise, that she already had a degree. The 36-year-old
kindergarten teacher from Shandong province had left formal education in 2004
after taking the gaokao, China’s fearsome university-entrance exam. Though she
had attained a respectable score, she had failed to secure a place. When, this
year, she asked Shandong University of Technology to explain why its records
listed her as an alumnus, the answer was a shock. The university concluded
that another young woman with the same surname but much lower grades had
connived with teachers and local officials to obtain the college-acceptance
notice that should have been sent to Ms Chen. This woman had assumed Ms Chen’s
identity and earned a degree, which she then used to bag a job as a civil
servant._ Whereas Chen became a migrant worker.

After Chen exposed someone literally stole her life, the local and Shangdong
provincial governments contacted her relatives and friends and told them to
pressure her into silent, or else. According Chen, quite a few relatives were
angry at her for 'uncovering ancient history' and bring trouble to all her
relatives. Chen, however, was determined to continue as her late father used
all his savings to support her study effort.

Yeah, it's a pretty common tactic of the PRC to use families as hostages.

~~~
kelnos
And the culture and state propaganda just reinforces and validates this
behavior: it's telling that her relatives were pissed at her for digging into
something like this, because it would affect them negatively due to government
pressure.

