Andréa’s Blog

On Doing Small Things Towards Change – A Book Review

January 31, 2026 This essay was first published on the website China Change, which contains a number of translations and essays by and about imprisoned scholar and activist Xu Zhiyong––his work and thought focusing on democracy, human rights, and the Citizens Movement, among other topics. Professor Anthony Spires book, Everyday Democracy, is a compelling complement…

Missing Peng Shuai, No. 4 (3/8/25)

The theme for 2025 International Women’s Day is “For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.”  The emphasis on the word “ALL” immediately brings to mind the inclusion of women who are marginalized, disappeared, or otherwise deprived of “Rights, Equality, and Empowerment.” It’s thus a perfect day (but certainly not the only day) to remember Peng Shuai, the disappeared…

Human Rights

What does the 20th Party Congress Mean for Peng Shuai and the Future of the WTA in China?   

The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Finals will be played for the first time in Fort Worth, Texas, starting on Monday, October 31. The year-end tournament was among those the WTA relocated from China in the aftermath of Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai’s (彭帅) sexual assault allegations against retired Chinese Communist Party official, Zhang Gaoli  (张高丽), and her…

On this International Day of Victims of Enforced Disappearances – #FreePengShuai 

“We must not stay silent”  (Serena Williams via Twitter 11/18/21) August 30 is the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances. It also happens to be the second day of the 2022 US Open. Tennis fans and players, along with human rights supporters everywhere, should continue to ask “Where is Peng Shuai?” and call for her…

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