William Nee

Senior Manager for East Asia at @NEDemocracy. posts on China/中国, human rights, IR, Catholicism, trail running. Views expressed are my own.

[William Nee @williamnee]

📢 My op-ed in @thehill is out:

The piece answers a paradox: many Uyghurs overseas continue to deal with detained relatives & transnational repression.

Meanwhile, some non-Uyghurs may assume the situation has improved, as the re-education camps are no longer in global headlines

[William Nee @williamnee]

@patrickpoon Thanks for that Patrick! 🙏

[Patrick Poon潘嘉偉 [email protected] [email protected] @patrickpoon]

I have been slow in following tweets. My former colleague @williamnee keeps writing and expressing concern although he now works on funding projects. Amazing!

[Patrick Poon潘嘉偉 [email protected] [email protected] @patrickpoon]

#XingWangli's wife said after visiting him in prison that he was ill-treated in detention. He was forced to work for about 15 hours everyday. He was also forced to stand, raising his arms, for 5 days.

[World Uyghur Congress @UyghurCongress]

📢 10 Years of Uyghur Genocide: Perspectives, Testimonies and Next Steps

On 10 November 2026, the World Uyghur Congress (WUC), together with Members of the European Parliament, will hold an event at the 🇪🇺 in Brussels marking ten years of the Uyghur genocide.

The event will bring together experts, researchers, and witnesses to reflect on a decade of human rights violations in East Turkistan, share firsthand testimonies, and discuss the next steps towards accountability and justice.

📅 10 November 2026 | 15:00
📍 European Parliament, Spinelli 5G1, Brussels

[Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) @CIPEglobal]

How can Colombia attract more foreign investment while protecting its strategic interests?

A new CIPE-supported report from partner @ColombiaRisk explores how investment screening mechanisms can help deter opaque, state-backed investments while keeping the country open to constructive capital.

The U.S., Canada, Australia & EU countries use similar frameworks to safeguard key sectors and boost investor confidence.

👉 Read more: https://t.co/zoc958Xl0m 🇨🇴
#FDI #Colombia #EconomicSecurity #InvestmentScreening #LatinAmerica

[William Nee @williamnee]

Columbia research scholar Julian Gewirtz concluded, “Beijing is establishing controls while suggesting it would offer favorable treatment for cooperation through a China-backed institution. [WAICO]”

https://t.co/atrSmE4uLE @JulianGewirtz @ChinaGSProject

[William Nee @williamnee]

China's Commerce Ministry proposes export licenses for core AI tech to control global spread while balancing national security & intellectual property

The draft exempts existing models &allows app access, but would cover future versions of open models like Kimi, Qwen, & DeepSeek

[William Nee @williamnee]

“The consequences are already visible: Photos from Mr. Kim’s visit to a drone factory last month indicated that North Korea has begun mass-producing drones.”

https://t.co/tm2yWldGYY

[Lord (David) Alton @DavidAltonHL]

Very moved today in @UKParliament to be presented with an award, from "The Underground Church in China, In the Spirit of Cardinal Kung and Cardinal Zen", as a "Voice of Solidarity".

Significantly, it is dated June 4 - the anniversary of the Tiananmen massacre.

My first visit to Hong Kong in 1980, as a young MP @HouseofCommons and later I visited Shanghai, where I secretly met persecuted Christians whose bishop, Cardinal Ignatius Kung, had languished for more than 30 years in Chinese jails.

In more recent years, @UKHouseofLords I have had the huge privilege of meeting China’s courageous Cardinal Joseph Zen @CardJosephZen .

The extraordinary courage, the faith of China's persecuted Christians - and the refusal of Tibetan Buddhists, Uyghur Muslims and Falun Gong practitioners - to be crushed by the CCP is deeply inspiring. In whatever ways we can all of us must use every opportunity to be Voices of Solidarity.

Someone who has always been a Voice of Solidarity for the persecuted people of China is @benedictrogers, Senior Director of @fortifyrights and founder and Chair of @hongkongwatch, and I am grateful to him for bringing this beautiful glass plaque and book safely to me at Westminster today.

The stories of those who suffer so grievously for their beliefs should inspire us all - especially those who live in free societies- to be a Voice of Solidarity.

#FreeChina #FreeHongKong #FreeUyghurs #FreeTibet #FreeZion8 #PrayforChina @UyghurStop @MahmutRahima @vicmaywhite @TibetPeople @SamuelBrownback @RFInstitute @IRFSummit
@APPGFoRB @RaymondArroyo
Also see

https://t.co/QCVLODwLe2

[Cha: An Asian Literary Journal @asiancha]

Saddened to learn that the Society for Hong Kong Studies, formed in 2017, will dissolve on 31 October 2026, due to "a lack of funding".

https://t.co/TZWWPb8lsy

[Rushan Abbas @RushanAbbas]

No family should have to endure the pain of having a loved one imprisoned for political retaliation. My sister, Dr. Gulshan Abbas, remains unjustly imprisoned by the CCP for my advocacy work. I continue to fight for her freedom and for all Uyghurs unjustly detained by Beijing.

I support @freedomhouse, @NEDemocracy and the October 30 Coalition in demanding the release of political prisoners worldwide and encourage everyone who is able to join them. We must keep their stories alive and hold their persecutors accountable.

[William Nee @williamnee]

China’s crackdown on house churches: An interview with Su Ziming, wife of detained Chinese pastor Wang Lin

https://t.co/egi7MU0jfi via @amnesty

[维吾尔人权项目 @UHRP_Chinese]

在里根研究所（@ReaganInstitute），看到金明日（Ezra Jin）牧师今天就中国的宗教自由问题发言，令人深受鼓舞。

金牧师及其教会的8名成员所遭受的迫害，以及他的律师被吊销执业资格一事，应当促使基督徒和自由倡导者们行动起来，与那些在中国遭受迫害的政治犯站在一起。

[Damon M. Wilson @DamonMacWilson]

What begins as repression at home becomes aggression abroad.

North Korean forced labor helps produce Russian weapons used against Ukrainians.

Human rights and national security are inseparable. We must disrupt this exploitation—and invest in North Koreans building a different future.

My remarks at @CISS with @CSISKoreaChair @TheBushCenter @VictorDCha @JosephKimNK @OliviaEnos

https://t.co/Ga56VgNuW2

[NEDemocracy @NEDemocracy]

Miami’s Freedom Tower once welcomed thousands of Cubans seeking refuge from dictatorship.

Today, it hosted NED’s celebration honoring a son of Cuban exiles who has spent decades championing freedom and democracy around the world.

NED is proud to present Congressman @MarioDB with the 2026 Champion of Freedom Democracy Award.

NED Board Chairman Peter Roskam and fellow Board members Mel Martínez, Ambassador Liliana Ayalde, Dayton Ogden, and Juan Zarate joined others at the ceremony in honoring his leadership and commitment.

Tributes came from former Colombian presidents @IvanDuque and @AlvaroUribeVel, Taiwan’s Vice President @bikhim, Venezuela’s @MariaCorinaYA, Lithuania’s @ZygisPavilionis and other pro-democracy leaders.

Together, their messages reflected the global impact of his work—and his enduring support for people striving to build freer, more just communities.

[William Nee @williamnee]

“…Feng runs a WeChat public account that, since 2021, has published an annual review of labor rights incidents…,included information about pay cuts and wage arrears, gig and platform workers, migrant workers, social insurance, workers with disabilities and illnesses…”

[CHRD人权捍卫者网络 @CHRDnet]

🔴 Guangzhou authorities have held labor rights advocate #FengRui since Sept 14 for “picking quarrels,” interrogating him up to 3 times a day even while he was too ill to walk. They should release him, end coercive interrogations & ensure medical care.
👉 https://t.co/7POoFL5QCN

[William Yang @WilliamYang120]

This is an alarming case that reflects the extent of China's attempt to silence dissent inside Taiwan:
"Prosecutors in Taiwan have indicted five people for allegedly trying to injure a comedian who mocks the Chinese Communist Party and President Xi Jinping as part of his act.

The five suspects in Taiwan are accused of accepting NT$450,000 ($13,900) from some Chinese people to “break arms and legs” of comedian Huang Yihao’s, Taiwan’s national news agency CNA reported Wednesday."

https://t.co/oyqLorMIAq

[William Nee @williamnee]

Inspiring to see pastor Ezra Jin speak about religious freedom in #China today at the @ReaganInstitute

The persecution of Ezra and 8 members of his church and disbarment of his lawyer should galvanize Christians & freedom advocates to stand with persecuted 🇨🇳 political prisoners

[Human Rights Foundation (HRF) @HRF]

HRF is proud to join the October 30 Coalition in calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners worldwide. Ahead of the #InternationalDayofPoliticalPrisoners, we stand with @NEDemocracy, @LantosFndn, @4freerussia_org, @McCainInstitute, @TheRWCHR, @WLCongress, @freedomhouse and fellow advocates to demand freedom for all unjustly imprisoned.

Join us at the Lincoln Memorial on Oct. 30 to honor political prisoners and stand in solidarity with those fighting for their freedom.

Read our joint statement → https://t.co/ufJFMVwqtK

[Kathryn Jean Lopez @kathrynlopez]

how wonderful!