Concerns Grow as Protester Who Unfurled Pro-Democracy Banners in China Goes Missing
A brief video and
'The people do not need a political party with unrestrained power,' one of the banners read. Phrases from another handwritten banner calling for political reform. The third included a demand for democracy in China, rather than having someone who 'gives the direction,' a phrase typically reserved by state media for the CCP's
The protester who hung the banners in Chengdu was identified as Mei Shilin, a 27-year-old man living in the provincial capital of Sichuan, according to activists in touch with him.
Growing concerns for Mei's safety prompted Du to make his identity public. Du said the local authorities may have taken Mei into custody.
Related Stories
10/16/2024
4/26/2025
Drawing from his experience supporting Chinese dissidents, Du said that he believes global attention could be the only way to ensure Mei's safety and prevent 'inhuman torture' that might be inflicted upon him.
He referred to the regime's notorious record of silencing critics, including sending dissidents to
Du served as a chief legal adviser to Inner Mongolia's local authorities before being imprisoned for nearly 13 years for alleged bribery, a conviction he said was
Du's account aligned with information provided by a Chinese X user, known by the nickname '
The blogger, speaking anonymously for safety reasons, told The Epoch Times that while efforts to reach Mei are ongoing, it is nearly certain that he has been arrested.
'We decided to disclose his identity in hopes that his bravery will not be forgotten and that more people could rally behind him,' the blogger said.
Defiance in Communist China
Public expressions of criticism toward the Communist rule are rare within China, where the CCP has already established the world's largest
Nevertheless, as the regime has tightened its grip over the past few years, sporadic acts of
In October 2022,
Banners hang from Sitong Bridge in Beijing on Oct. 13, 2022. Dissident Peng Lifa unfurled the banners to protest against China's draconian 'zero-COVID' policy and call for an end to the authoritarian regime.
Screenshot of Fangshimin's Twitter account via The Epoch Times
The one-man protest took place in broad daylight amid heightened security leading up to the 20th Party Congress, where Xi was poised to secure an unprecedented third term.
Some media outlets described the event as the first time Beijing has seen banners targeting the CCP since the
Chinese censors acted swiftly to suppress the spread of related information. Videos and photos of the protest were quickly removed from major social media platforms, and
The protester was arrested by police at the scene and was later identified by overseas activists as Peng Lifa, a 48-year-old man residing in the Chinese capital.
Within a month of this incident, mass
From the capital Beijing to the remote county of Korla, Chinese citizens took to the streets over the final weekend of November 2023, calling for an end to the strict zero-COVID curbs and demanding freedom. In Shanghai, residents voiced their anger toward the CCP and its leader,
Protesters hold up a white piece of paper against censorship as they march during a protest against China's strict zero-COVID policy in Beijing on Nov. 27, 2022.In December 2022, the CCP lifted its nearly three-year-old zero-COVID policy, allowing infected individuals to isolate at home instead of being taken to quarantine camps and reducing testing requirements for domestic travelers.
To honor Peng's courage, then-U.S. House China Committee Chairman Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.)
In a recent YouTube video, Du called on more people to voice support for protesters like Peng and Mei, saying what dictators fear most is the truth.
'These prisoners of conscience are like seeds buried in the ground. Their arrest and imprisonment are not the end, but the beginning of their blossoming and bearing fruit,' Du
'The CCP can confine the body, but it cannot cage the truth,' he said.
Gu Xiaohua contributed to this report.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Taiwan president's Americas trip shelved over Beijing's objections
[Source] Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has reportedly shelved his planned August trip to diplomatic allies in the Americas amid reports that the Trump administration blocked a New York stopover after Beijing raised objections. State of play: Lai was expected to travel to Belize, Guatemala and Paraguay — Taiwan's remaining diplomatic allies in the region — with U.S. stopovers planned for New York and Dallas. But on Monday, his office cited recovery from recent typhoon damage and ongoing U.S. tariff discussions as reasons he has 'no plans to travel overseas in the near future.' Embassy officials in Guatemala and Paraguay later confirmed the visit was postponed indefinitely. Meanwhile, sources reportedly told the Financial Times that the U.S. blocked Lai's New York visit after Beijing objected to Washington. Trade talk timing: The move comes amid Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's trade talks with Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng in Stockholm as the Trump administration sets its eyes on a possible summit with President Xi Jinping. Bessent, however, denied any link between the travel matter and trade negotiations, saying, 'We are very careful to keep trade and national security separate.' Meanwhile, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce dismissed the reports, saying the situation is 'hypothetical' and that 'there have been no plans — travel plans for the president.' The big picture: The reported decision has drawn bipartisan criticism, with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi warning that it sends 'a dangerous signal' showing the U.S. 'can be bullied by Beijing into silence on Taiwan.' House Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi called it 'another example of the Trump administration caving to China in hopes of reaching a trade deal.' Paraguay, for its part, also faces domestic pressure, with ruling party congressman Hugo Meza saying the country is 'wasting time' maintaining ties with Taiwan. Trending on NextShark: The tensions follow Lai's declaration in June that 'Taiwan is of course an independent country," prompting China's Taiwan Affairs Office to denounce his statements as 'heresy,' 'hostile' and 'separatist.' This story is part of The Rebel Yellow Newsletter — a bold weekly newsletter from the creators of NextShark, reclaiming our stories and celebrating Asian American voices. Trending on NextShark: Subscribe free to join the movement. If you love what we're building, consider becoming a paid member — your support helps us grow our team, investigate impactful stories, and uplift our community. Subscribe here now! Trending on NextShark: Download the NextShark App: Want to keep up to date on Asian American News? Download the NextShark App today!
Epoch Times
5 hours ago
- Epoch Times
Chinese Academic Repression Distorts the UK's China Studies, Survey Finds
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is distorting the UK's China studies system with widespread influence, interference, and harassment, a survey found. In a report published Aug. 3, London-based charity UK-China Transparency (UKCT) said it found strong evidence that CCP influence in British universities is 'shaping careers and disincentivising certain research and other activity that might be negatively received by the CCP.'
Boston Globe
8 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Trump's demand to trading partners: Pledge money or get higher tariffs
Advertisement The tactic was on display last week as Trump and his team rolled out a blitz of new trade agreements before a self-imposed Aug. 1 deadline. 'South Korea is right now at a 25% Tariff, but they have an offer to buy down those Tariffs,' Trump wrote on social media Wednesday. 'I will be interested in hearing what that offer is.' The next day, Trump agreed to impose a tariff of 15 percent on imports from South Korea. The lower rate came after South Korea agreed to make $350 billion in investments in the United States and purchase $100 billion of liquefied natural gas. South Korea is not the only country to make such pledges. Japan said it would establish a $550 billion fund for investments in the United States. The European Union indicated that its companies were poised to invest at least $600 billion. Advertisement To trade experts, the commitments raise the question of whether Trump is negotiating with trading partners or trade hostages. 'This is no doubt a global shakedown of sorts,' said Scott Lincicome, vice president of general economics at the right-leaning Cato Institute. 'The fact is that Trump is using US tariff policy to effectively force these terms upon less-than-willing participants.' But the vague nature of these informal commitments suggests that other nations might also be looking for creative ways to escape Trump's tariffs. Although tariffs are relatively straightforward to enforce, investment and purchase commitments are not as easily policed. The EU, for instance, does not have the authority to dictate the type of investments that it has promised, and much of Japan's pledged investments are coming in the form of loans. The investment announcements have also spurred confusion and lacked the usual detail that would accompany such pacts to avoid future disputes. A large majority of the $350 billion South Korean investment would take the form of loans and loan guarantees. South Korean officials expressed confusion over what US officials meant when they said 90 percent of the profits from the investments would go to the American people. A fact sheet announcing the EU's plans allowed for some wiggle room when it said that 'E.U. companies have expressed interest in investing at least $600 billion' in 'various sectors in the U.S.' 'I think there remain a lot of questions, including by the countries who have announced commitments, as to what those commitments actually really mean,' said Michael Froman, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, who served as the top trade negotiator in the Obama administration. 'Is it enforceable? If they don't deliver a certain amount of investment over a particular period of time, do tariffs go back into place?' Advertisement During Trump's first term, the trade deal he struck with China included extensive commitments for Chinese purchases of American farm products that were never met. The agreement did have an enforcement mechanism, but it proved toothless. Some of the initial investment pledges appear to be too big to be true. New data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis showed that in 2024, foreign spending to acquire, start or expand US businesses totaled $151 billion — a small fraction of the new commitments being announced. The $600 billion EU investment commitment matches the total value of the goods that the United States imported from Europe last year. Although the United States has long been a magnet for foreign investment, the longer-term effects of making countries invest under duress are not clear. 'This is the kind of deal you'd more expect to see from an emerging market that can't attract capital on its merits,' said Aaron Bartnick, who worked in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy during the Biden administration. 'And we may find over time that if the United States insists on acting like an emerging market, our trade partners may start treating us accordingly, with more onerous terms and less favorable rates that American companies and consumers are not accustomed to dealing with.' Regardless of the economic implications, Trump's tactics show no signs of abating, as he regularly claims more than $10 trillion — and climbing — in investments from foreign companies and countries. Advertisement Daniel Ames, a professor at Columbia Business School who teaches negotiation strategy, said that Trump's approach to trade deals appears to be drawn directly from his days as a developer and businessperson. Trump became notorious for destabilizing his negotiating counterparts with severely low bids, dazzling sales pitches and an ability to capitalize on weakness to gain leverage. Ames noted, however, that the EU and countries like Japan and South Korea might also be playing into Trump's sense of vanity when they unveil whopping investment promises that might ultimately be hollow. 'Donald Trump is a gifted storyteller, and I think when his counterparts recognize this, they can play to it,' Ames said. 'If you're negotiating with a narcissist, you look for ways to make them feel like they've won.' This article originally appeared in .
