There has been a marked deterioration in the protection of human rights overall in China from 2013 to the present. Individuals on the frontlines of defending human rights have long encountered oppression from the government in the form of harassment, intimidation and imprisonment. However, under President Xi Jinping this oppression has not only increased for these groups, but has expanded to include a wide range of civil society and business sector actors. These include journalists, academics, religious communities, internet personalities, labour activists and factory workers, environmental activists, and non-governmental organisations and associations.
