Veteran journalists discussed the increasing restrictions on foreign journalists in China and the implications for truth-telling during a virtual talk at the Nieman Foundation. They compared the challenges of reporting in China to North Korea, highlighted the importance of coverage on Xinjiang's internment camps, and the role of Chinese journalists in covering stories within China. The discussion also touched on the impact of Chinese nationalism and propaganda on public opinion and the difficulties of reporting from Hong Kong. Despite the challenges, the journalists emphasized the importance of foreign media presence in China for a nuanced global understanding of the country.

China has constructed new high-security detention facilities in Xinjiang, capable of housing over 10,000 people, despite claims of winding down its 'reeducation' efforts against the Uighur minority. The Australian Strategic Policy Institute has identified at least 60 such sites, indicating a shift to more permanent forms of detention. International condemnation, including from the United States, has labeled the treatment of Uighurs as human rights abuses, with some officials considering it a form of genocide. The Chinese government has denied these allegations, framing the camps as necessary for combating extremism. The situation in Xinjiang remains tense, with visible signs of repression and control over the Uighur population.

During the coverage of North Korea's Workers' Party congress, reporters were only shown the exterior of the building and used the opportunity to ask Pyongyang residents about their views on American politics, specifically their opinions on Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.

Anna Fifield from The Financial Times, Patti Solis Doyle, former 2008 Hillary Clinton Campaign Manager, and Rob Johnson, former campaign manager for Rick Perry and Newt Gingrich, discuss the ongoing debt talks on Capitol Hill.