Unprecedented repression against media in China under Xi: Journalists group

China's violations against its own international commitments to freedom of opinion and expression has significantly increased under the current regime.

The Great Leap Backwards of Journalism in China, a report has revealed the unprecedented campaign of repression led by the Chinese regime in recent years against journalism and the right to information worldwide.

Specifically, the report examines the regime's tools of repression against journalists and the deterioration of press freedom in Hong Kong, which was once a model of press freedom but now has an increasing number of journalists arrested in the name of national security.

The report is from the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and has also revealed how journalists are being forced to become the Chinese Communist Party (CCP's) mouthpiece.

As per the report, in order to receive and renew their press cards, journalists will soon have to undergo a 90-hour annual training partly focusing on Xi Jinping's "Thought".

Meanwhile, the Chinese government has also unveiled a series of plans that are seen to further consolidate the CCP's control over the media.

Beijing has been using media as an important tool for asserting power and enhancing its narrative in international discourse.

China has been bankrolling scholars, journalists, and experts abroad, censoring domestic media while keeping a tab on Chinese Diaspora abroad, The HK Post reported.