Welcome to UnderReported China, a new Substack tracking human rights, technology, and foreign influence related to the People’s Republic.

Why subscribe to UnderReported China?

China is one of the most important—yet often most misunderstood—countries in the world. The goal of UnderReported China is to shed light on stories, data, new research, and political prisoners that are vital to understanding not only what is happening within the borders of the PRC, but also how the Chinese Communist Party’s actions are affecting democracy, freedom, and human rights across the world.

About the Author: Sarah Cook

I’m an independent researcher and consultant, who has worked on human rights, technology, religion, and media freedom related to China for over 20 years.

Much of my work has been at Freedom House, a U.S.-based non-profit, where I was first a researcher and then China research director until I stepped down in early 2023 to spend more time with my children.

I directed the China Media Bulletin, a monthly digest in English and Chinese providing news and analysis on media freedom developments related to China. I also led a project on the Chinese Communist Party’s influence on foreign media in 30 countries, which culminated in the 2022 report Beijing’s Global Media Influence: Authoritarian Expansion and the Power of Democratic Resilience. Prior to that project, I had authored four other special reports about China: Beijing's Global Megaphone (2020), The Battle for China’s Spirit (2017), The Politburo’s Predicament (2015), and The Long Shadow of Chinese Censorship (2013).

My writings have appeared on CNN, The Wall Street Journal, Foreign Policy, and the Diplomat, among others. I’ve also been honored to testify before the U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China, Senate Intelligence Committee, and the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission.

Besides my work for Freedom House, over the past decade, I’ve also served as a consultant, advisor, or peer reviewer (paid or voluntary) for a variety of non-profits and other organizations, including the National Endowment for Democracy, the International Republican Institute, the Center for American Progress, the Falun Dafa Information Center, Duco consulting, Johns Hopkins University Press, and the Smith Richardson Foundation, among others.

Before joining Freedom House, I co-edited the English translation of A China More Just, a memoir by prominent rights attorney Gao Zhisheng, and was twice a delegate to the United Nations Human Rights Commission meeting in Geneva for an NGO working on religious freedom in China. I hold a B.A. in International Relations from Pomona College and as a Marshall Scholar, completed Master’s degrees in Politics and International Law at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London.

I live with my husband and two daughters and in my spare time, love hiking, biking, meditating, and reading biographies and historical fiction. As I continue my quest to find balance between my professional and family life, I decided to start this Substack in the hopes that my long-standing expertise and new research can help inform public and policy debates, while amplifying voices and stories from among Chinese, Uyghur, Tibetan and other communities that are often missing from these vital conversations.

Thanks for reading!

For media queries, private briefings, public speaking requests, or consulting services, please message me directly. You can also follow me on X @Sarah_G_Cook.