Yaqiu Wang Speaks on China’s Threat to Democracy at US Senate
Yaqiu Wang, the Research Director for China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan at Freedom House, a non-profit organization based in Washington, testified before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee. She discussed the Chinese government’s tactics to suppress political dissent and the threat it poses to American democracy and security.
China’s Authoritarian Regime
Wang stated that China’s authoritarian regime is one of the biggest threats to American democracy and security. She emphasized the importance of the United States supporting the Chinese people’s fight for democracy. Since Xi Jinping assumed power in 2012, China has seen a significant decline in freedom, with President Xi consolidating personal power to an unprecedented degree.
Crackdown on Civil Society
Wang highlighted the multiyear crackdown on all aspects of life and governance in China, leading to the decimation of civil society. The government has been using laws like the National Security Law (2015), Foreign NGO Law (2017), Counterterrorism Law (2018), and Counterespionage Law (2023) to criminalize independent human rights activism and journalism.
Imprisonment of Activists
Wang mentioned several human rights activists imprisoned on national security-related charges, including:
- Wang Bingzhang, serving a life sentence for espionage since 2002
- Xu Zhiyong, serving a 14-year sentence for subversion of state power
- Huang Xueqin, serving a five-year sentence for inciting subversion of state power
She also noted that some activists have been forcibly disappeared, such as respected human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng, who has not been heard from in seven years.
Ethnic Minorities
Wang highlighted the harsh conditions faced by China’s ethnic minorities, giving examples of:
- Rahile Dawut, an Uyghur scholar serving a life sentence for separatism since 2018
- Ilham Tohti, another Uyghur scholar serving a life sentence for separatism, with no contact with his family since 2017
- Sherab Gyatso, a Tibetan monk and writer serving a 10-year sentence for inciting separatism
Situation in Hong Kong
Wang also discussed the situation in Hong Kong, where over a thousand people have been imprisoned for exercising their right to freedom of assembly and expression, many on national security grounds. The National Security Law (NSL) imposed by Beijing in 2020 criminalizes a wide range of activities both inside and outside Hong Kong.
Prominent political prisoners in Hong Kong include:
- Journalist and publisher Jimmy Lai, facing life imprisonment for sedition and collusion with foreign forces
- Human rights lawyer Chow Hang-tung, arrested for inciting subversion
- Activist Joshua Wong, convicted of conspiracy to commit subversion
Wang concluded by acknowledging the extraordinary sacrifices made by these courageous individuals and many others in mainland China and Hong Kong for standing up to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Doubts Revealed
Yaqiu Wang -: Yaqiu Wang is a person who studies and talks about human rights and freedom in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. She works for an organization called Freedom House.
US Senate Foreign Relations Committee -: The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee is a group of important people in the United States who discuss and make decisions about how the US interacts with other countries.
authoritarian regime -: An authoritarian regime is a type of government where one person or a small group of people have all the power and control everything, without letting people have a say or vote.
political dissent -: Political dissent means disagreeing with the government and expressing those disagreements. In some countries, people can get in trouble for doing this.
imprisonment of activists -: Imprisonment of activists means putting people who fight for rights and changes in jail because they speak out against the government.
ethnic minorities -: Ethnic minorities are groups of people who have different cultural, racial, or national backgrounds from the majority of the population in a country.
National Security Law -: The National Security Law is a strict law in China and Hong Kong that makes it easier for the government to punish people who they think are against them, even if they are just speaking their mind.
civil society -: Civil society is made up of groups and organizations that work to help people and communities, like charities and non-profits, and are not part of the government.
