From Huang Zhifeng to Qiao Xinxin: Where Are the Conscientious Youths Now?

On December 15, 2025, the verdict in the case of Hong Kong's former pro-democracy media tycoon Li Zhiying was announced. The image is a file photo. (Song Bilong / Dajiyuan)

[People News] On Friday, the governments of ten countries, including the United States, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France, issued a joint statement condemning the 10-year prison sentence imposed on Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Huang Zhifeng. Huang, the former secretary-general of the Hong Kong Alliance, was arrested in prison last June and charged with conspiracy to collude with Luo Guancong and others to endanger national security, as well as 'conspiracy to collude with foreign forces' in 2020. A few months ago, several leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements (referred to as the Alliance) were also convicted under the National Security Law. These cases further illustrate that the National Security Law is being utilised to target individuals who express political views or engage in political activities.

The joint statement from the foreign ministries of the ten countries read: 'We call for an immediate cessation of all unjust prosecutions of individuals under the National Security Law and urge the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities to uphold their international commitments and respect the rights and freedoms granted to the people of Hong Kong by the Sino-British Joint Declaration (1984).'

Earlier, the European Union and various human rights organisations worldwide strongly condemned the Chinese Communist Party for politically motivated persecution of dissenters, including the case involving 47 primary election candidates. The CCP's political persecution is not limited to Hong Kong. On November 6, former Macau legislator Qu Jin Xin was found guilty of multiple charges, including subversion of state power, connections with foreign organisations that threaten national security, and violations of confidentiality, following a closed-door trial in a local primary court. He was sentenced to 12 and a half years in prison, marking the first public case since Macau enacted its National Security Law.

Human Rights Watch has accused the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) of persecution, issuing a chilling warning to critics and urging the world to pay attention to the CCP's growing suppression of dissenting voices and fundamental freedoms.

In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun remarked during a regular press conference on Thursday, in response to questions: "Relevant parties should earnestly... stop making irresponsible comments regarding the judicial proceedings in the Special Administrative Region and cease any form of interference in Hong Kong's judiciary and in China's (CCP's) internal affairs."

The CCP considers the illegal persecution of its citizens as an internal matter, which has, of course, been a norm for the party for nearly a century. In mainland China, it is easier to kill a Chinese person than to crush an ant; how can the arrest of a few individuals from Hong Kong and Macau be seen as a suppression of freedom?

Does anyone still remember the names of these individuals? Qiao Xinxin, Hangzhou Ma Moumou (Yaya), Peng Lifafa, Yan Zhongjian, Dong Yaoqiong, Ding Jiaxi, Xu Yan, Wang Lin, Duoji Zaxi, Liu Jia Cai, Yilihamu Tuhuti, Zou Wei, Xing Wangli, Zheng Dahong, Gui Minhai, Hao Jingsong, Zhang Yi, Zeng Yuxuan, Li Yuanfeng, Li Zhuoren, He Fangmei, Liu Yingkuang, Zou Xingtong, Fu Hailuo, Ruan Xiaohuan, Gao Zhisheng... The author found it impossible to complete the review of such a list. These individuals are currently imprisoned by the CCP, and their fates remain unknown.

These individuals have been collectively charged by the CCP with common offences: (inciting) subversion of state power or provoking trouble. Currently, no one knows which prison they are in or what kind of persecution they are enduring.

Modern China is not devoid of heroes; it is not lacking in the backbone of Huaxia. Yet, the moral integrity of this backbone is often overlooked amid the dark and terrifying suffering, while the few shining elites are either intentionally or unintentionally forgotten amidst desires and vendettas.

It can be asserted that wherever the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is present, chaos ensues. Today, this chaos has manifested in Hong Kong and Macau. In fact, it extends beyond these regions; the crises in the Taiwan Strait, the South China Sea, the tumultuous elections in Taiwan, and the internal conflicts among Chinese people during Xi Jinping's visits to India and the United States all reflect the shadow of the CCP, don’t they? Some netizens have pointed out that, in the context of the Middle Eastern wars, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the nuclear weapons development in Iran and North Korea, and the activities of Osama bin Laden's 'Al-Qaeda' and 'Hamas', is there not some form of support from the CCP lurking in the background? Moreover, the recent riots across multiple European countries also involve numerous organisations linked to the Communist Party. If the CCP were to vanish, could these organisations continue to exist? Wouldn’t the global order, economy, and international relations improve almost instantly?

Numerous political truth-seekers mentioned above have urged senior officials in Europe and the United States not to harbour illusions about the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) or to appease it. They advocate for exposing all the CCP's evils, which bully the good and fear the evil, to the light of day, so that the entire world understands the need to abandon the CCP. Closed-door meetings or private discussions will only allow the CCP to manipulate them. This is particularly relevant for senior officials in the United States and certain political figures from the Republic of China, who seek to curry favour with the CCP leadership, hoping they will refrain from causing trouble during critical moments, quell local unrest, negotiate, and demonstrate submission. Such actions are akin to seeking skin from a tiger, which only serves to further incite the CCP's malevolence. The chaotic situations are precisely what the CCP exploits to entangle Europe and America, aiming to weaken the power of just nations globally and achieve its hegemonic ambitions. Regrettably, over the past century of CCP history, this scenario has played out countless times, yet global political figures have failed to learn from these lessons and continue to reenact the tale of the farmer and the snake.

Qiao Xinxin and others have suggested that dismantling the CCP does not require any weapons; it merely necessitates tearing down the CCP's internet firewall, allowing genuine information to illuminate the Chinese landscape and enabling the Chinese people to freely choose their future, which would inevitably lead to the CCP's disintegration. Following the sentencing of Huang Zhifeng and nearly 50 justice advocates from Hong Kong and Macau, informed individuals worldwide have called for developed, civilised nations, such as the United States and the European Union, to focus their efforts on dismantling the CCP. Once the root issue is addressed, the unrest occurring globally will also be resolved.

(People News first published) △