Balanced News: ‘Hurting the feelings of the Chinese people’ could be punished by jail time

Under a proposed amendment to China’s Public Security Administration Law, individuals could face fines of up to 5,000 yuan ($680) or 15 days in jail for wearing the wrong T-shirt or criticizing China online. The law targets acts that “hurt the feelings of the Chinese people” and includes banning insults to revolutionary heroes and martyrs, the national anthem, soldiers, and the police force. The lack of specificity in the draft has sparked concerns about potential violations, with critics arguing that the law could be used to label people as traitors or rebels and restrict freedom of expression.