Beijing Critic’s Bank Accounts Frozen as China Raises Pressure
- Deng Yuwen says he’s unable to access life savings back home
- Action signals less tolerance for dissidents living overseas
China’s crackdown has drawn growing criticism of foreign governments led by the U.S.
Photographer: Tiffany Hagler-Geard/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
A vocal advocate of Chinese government reform living in the U.S. said that several banks have frozen his accounts back home, in another sign that Beijing is stepping up pressure on overseas dissidents.
Deng Yuwen, a former editor at the Communist Party-run Study Times journal, said Thursday that four bank accounts held by him and his wife have been blocked since Sept. 2. The action has kept Deng from accessing about 300,000 yuan ($46,000), a sum he described as his life savings.