Police interview of suspects in China: Developments and analyses

Huang

doi:10.1177/1461355720947548

Police interview of suspects in China: Developments and analyses

Huang

Authors

Ching-Yu Huang c.s.huang@keele.ac.uk

Abstract

<jats:p> This article investigates the power dynamics in police interviews with suspects in China by examining a real-life sample. It first overviews some recent developments and legislation in China regarding police interviewing of suspects, followed by outlining the linguistic and psychological research upon which the analyses are based. The interviews are examined using critical discourse analysis that reveals the high-power position of the Chinese police in suspect interviews. However, the large proportion of open questions found in the interviews is encouraging, as this suggests that regulations outlawing use of evidence obtained by torture or other illegal means are taking effect. This article is the first to empirically examine actual Chinese police interviews with suspects, providing valuable insights for theories and practice. </jats:p>

Acceptance Date	Apr 2, 2020
Publication Date	Aug 13, 2020
Journal	International Journal of Police Science & Management
Print ISSN	1461-3557
Publisher	SAGE Publications
Pages	146135572094754 - 146135572094754
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1177/1461355720947548
Keywords	Forensic linguistics, investigative interviewing, police interrogation, China, suspect interview
Publisher URL	https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1461355720947548