Chinese Provincial Governments Turn to Extortion

By Human Rights Watch

Click to expand Image Police officers patrol outside the China National Convention Center in Beijing, May 13, 2017. ( © 2017 Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images As local governments in China contend with the country’s sluggish economy, some are reportedly shaking down successful private companies to supplement their coffers.This coercive practice, known as “distant water fishing” (远洋捕捞), involves poorer inland governments reaching beyond their jurisdictions to “catch” companies based in wealthier coastal provinces. They accuse them of fraud or other wrongdoing, freeze and confiscate their…

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