China: Gov Pressure Shuts Down AIDS Charity

A Chinese dissident has shut down the children's AIDS charity she runs after pressure from government officials over tax issues have become too much for her to bear.

According to Agence France-Presse, Zeng Jinyan's charity, the Ai Yuan Information Center, supports children with HIV and the orphans of parents who have died due to the virus. She wrote that she has been audited numerous times by tax authorities and that controls placed upon her actions have been further tightened.

Zeng is the wife of jailed Chinese activist Hu Jia, who was sent to prison in 2008 for inciting subversion, according to the report. He is due to be released after three and a half years behind bars.

The Chinese government has stepped up surveillance since writer Liu Xiaobo was awarded the Nobel Peace prize for his work to increase treatment and awareness of HIV in the world's most populated country. Last year, Liu was sentenced to 11 years of prison for leading the charge in circulating a petition calling for vast political reform in involvement for preventing and treating HIV in 2008.