China is now borrowing the phrase 'fake news' to wave off human rights advocates

China Fake News.
(Image credit: Ed Jones/AFP/GettyImages)

Say what you like about President Trump, the man knows how to make a phrase stick. From "Crooked Hillary" to "Low-Energy Jeb" and "Lyin' Ted Cruz," Trump's talent as a wordsmith is well-established. His latest and greatest dismissal is "fake news," and now even China is using it to wave off human rights advocates, The New York Times reports.

Foreign news organizations have run stories in recent weeks about the torture of Chinese lawyer Xie Yang, based on transcripts and interviews with Xie's lawyers. The newspaper of China's ruling Communist Party has now taken to calling those reports "fake news":

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.