The Diplomat | Author
Sarah Cook
Sarah Cook is Research Director for China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan at Freedom House.
She directs the China Media Bulletin, a monthly digest in English and Chinese providing news and analysis on media freedom developments related to China. Cook is also the author of several Asian country reports for Freedom House’s annual publications, as well as four special reports about China: Beijing’s Global Megaphone (2020), The Battle for China’s Spirit (2017), The Politburo’s Predicament (2015), and The Long Shadow of Chinese Censorship (2013). Her comments and writings have appeared on CNN, The Wall Street Journal, Foreign Policy, and the U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China.
Follow her on Twitter @Sarah_G_Cook.
March 30, 2021
Beijing Is Getting Better at Disinformation on Global Social Media
By Sarah Cook
Its networks are resisting takedown efforts and gaining traction among real users.
February 22, 2021
The Clubhouse Affair: A Stark Reminder of China’s Information Isolation
By Sarah Cook
A brief opening on an audio conversation app allowed Chinese users to speak freely with the outside world.
January 27, 2021
Beijing’s Crackdown Runs Into Hong Kong’s Rule of Law
By Sarah Cook
Pushback against politically motivated prosecutions is emerging from lawyers, judges, and the principles of Hong Kong’s common law system itself.
December 10, 2020
5 Predictions for Beijing’s Assault on Internet Freedom in 2021
By Sarah Cook
The events of the past year point to several censorship patterns that will likely gain prominence in the months to come.
November 09, 2020
Recent Wins and Defeats for the CCP’s Global Media Influence Campaign
By Sarah Cook
Some tactics have been productive, but others are fueling a backlash.
October 09, 2020
Behind Xi Jinping’s Steely Façade, a Leadership Crisis Is Smoldering in China
By Sarah Cook
Recent party purges suggest ebbing confidence in the all-powerful chairman.
July 13, 2020
Through Hong Kong, Beijing Channels Its Repression to the World
By Sarah Cook
Individuals and institutions are scrambling to adapt to the Chinese Communist Party’s growing extraterritorial reach.
June 18, 2020
China’s Media Influence Has Gone Global. So Has the Pushback.
By Sarah Cook
Beijing's campaign to control narratives about China the world over is attracting more attention -- and opposition.
May 11, 2020
Welcome to the New Era of Chinese Government Disinformation
By Sarah Cook
The coronavirus fallout is hastening Beijing’s shift toward covert, Russian-style tactics.
April 13, 2020
Beijing Covered up COVID-19 Once. It Could Happen Again.
By Sarah Cook
China’s political system is designed to cover up failure and exaggerate success. It can’t be trusted on the coronavirus.
March 09, 2020
The World Sees a Public Health Crisis. Beijing Sees a Political Threat.
By Sarah Cook
Amid the coronavirus epidemic, suppression of dissent remains a top priority for the CCP, and the stakes are higher than ever.
January 21, 2020
The Globalization of China’s Media Controls: Key Trends from 2019
By Sarah Cook
The Chinese Communist Party’s international media influence campaign is expanding rapidly—and so is the world’s response.
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