China Cables / Impact
ICIJ has redefined what investigative journalism looks like in the 21st century. We have repeatedly conducted journalistic collaborations so big, so visionary and so aspirational that they are unlike any others in history.
Our Offshore Leaks, Panama Papers, Paradise Papers and FinCEN Files investigations were the biggest cross-border journalism projects ever. They have shaken the establishment and led to public protests, to multiple arrests, sweeping legal reform, and official inquiries in more than 70 countries, and to the resignations of the leaders of Pakistan, Iceland and Malta after allegations of corruption.
We helped bring about the Corporate Transparency Act in the United States, hailed as the biggest anti-corruption measure since the Patriot Act of 2001. Our work has also been credited for helping bring more than 130 countries together to sign a worldwide minimum tax rate as a measure to stop giant corporations avoiding their responsibilities.
Sep 01, 2022
UN reports China may have committed ‘crimes against humanity’ in Xinjiang camps
A damning assessment by the office of the U.N. human rights chief that calls for immediate end to “systems of arbitrary detention” of Muslim minorities ignites Beijing fury.
May 24, 2022
UK, US and Germany say Xinjiang Police Files offer ‘shocking’ new evidence of China’s human rights abuses
Officials from around the world renewed calls for an official investigation into the treatment of Uyghurs in China after a leak of confidential government records and chilling photographs taken inside internment camps in Xinjiang.
Jul 15, 2021
As global pressure over human rights abuses in Xinjiang picks up, China remains defiant
Diplomatic measures, sanctions, targeting forced labor, calls for investigations and a 2022 Olympics boycott, and other efforts to stop Beijing’s campaign against Uyghurs appear to have little effect.
Mar 22, 2021
EU, US, Canada, and UK sanction Chinese officials for human rights violations in Xinjiang
The rare, coordinated effort has triggered a strong reaction from China, which retaliated with tit-for-tat sanctions against European politicians and scholars.
Nov 24, 2020
ICC complaint alleging Uighur genocide cites China Cables as evidence
Leaked Chinese government documents published by ICIJ were part of evidence submitted to the International Criminal Court by two Uighur activist groups.
Jul 30, 2020
‘Huge uptick’ in Chinese propaganda over Uighur camps, report finds
China launched a propaganda blitz after media reports exposed mass detention and repression of ethnic minorities in Xinjiang, according to a new report.
Jul 09, 2020
US sanctions architects of China’s internment camps
Zhu Hailun - one of four officials to be sanctioned - was revealed in the China Cables investigation as the signatory to the sweeping extra-judicial internment and indoctrination plans.
Jun 23, 2020
Trump signs Uighur sanctions bill amid Bolton claims, provoking China fury
US President Donald Trump authorized sanctions against China over the mass detention of Uighurs — on the same day a former adviser claimed the president cheered the detention camps.
Jun 11, 2020
China Cables wins top SPJ prize
ICIJ's China Cables investigation was awarded top honors at the Society of Professional Journalists’ Dateline Awards in Washington, D.C.
May 28, 2020
US blacklists Chinese companies linked to Uighur abuses
Two U.S. government bodies have imposed new sanctions against Chinese officials and companies, but experts say the rules are being circumvented.
May 15, 2020
US Senate approves bill to punish China over Uighur rights
If enacted the bill would give the Trump Administration 180 days to report Chinese officials responsible for mass internment camps and other abuses in Xinjiang
Dec 19, 2019
Politicians Push For Sanctions, Olympic TV Boycott After China Cables
Pressure continues to grow on the Chinese government, with calls for asset freezes and Winter Olympics boycotts over its treatment of ethnic minorities in Xinjiang.
Dec 04, 2019
US House Demands China Sanctions Over Uighur Crackdown
The US House of Representatives has overwhelmingly passed a bill calling for sanctions on Chinese officials responsible for mass detentions and other human rights abuses against ethnic minorities in Xinjiang.
Nov 26, 2019
End Detention ‘Immediately,’ US Says as World Reacts to China Cables
Governments across the world expressed deep concerns about the treatment of ethnic minorities in the region following the publication of the China Cables.