Wei Jingsheng (Chinese: 魏京生; born May 20, 1950) is a Chinese human rights activist and opponent of the government. He is best known for his role in the Chinese democracy movement. He became famous for writing an essay titled "The Fifth Modernization," which was displayed on the Democracy Wall in Beijing in 1978. Because of this essay, the government arrested Wei and convicted him of "activities against the government." He was held in prison as a political prisoner from 1979 to 1993. After a short release in 1993, Wei continued to speak with journalists about his beliefs. As a result, he was imprisoned again from 1994 to 1997, spending a total of 18 years in prison. In 1997, Wei was sent to the United States of America on medical parole. He remains a Chinese citizen and, in 1998, created the Wei Jingsheng Foundation in New York City (now located in Washington, D.C.). The foundation's goal is to improve human rights and support democratic reforms in China.
Early years
Wei was the oldest of four children and was raised by Chinese Communist Party officials. In 1966, when he was 16 years old, Wei joined the Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution. He lived in a rural area far from cities in Northern China. There, he talked to peasant farmers about the many famines that had happened a few years earlier during the Great Leap Forward. He found out how the government led by Mao Zedong had contributed to the famines, which made him start questioning the way the system worked. Wei later wrote about this time: "I felt like I had just woken up from a long sleep, but the people around me were still in the dark." In 1973, he began working as an electrician at the Beijing Zoo.
Democracy Wall
In 1978, Wei publicly shared his thoughts by joining the Democracy Wall movement in Beijing. On December 5, 1978, he wrote and posted an essay titled "The Fifth Modernization" on the wall. This essay responded to Deng Xiaoping's ideas about the "Four Modernizations," which included improving industry, agriculture, science and technology, and national defense. Wei argued that democracy should also be a goal for China’s development, alongside the other four modernizations.
Wei used his real name and address when signing the essay. This made the essay stand out because it was the only one that named Deng Xiaoping and referred to him as a dictator. The essay quickly drew attention due to its boldness and the author’s willingness to be identified.
Wei wrote that solving problems within a country cannot happen quickly but must be handled over time. He acknowledged that mistakes might occur but believed this was better than living under harsh rulers who could not be challenged. He compared those who feared democracy to people who, after the fall of the Qing dynasty, worried that removing an emperor would cause chaos. Wei said these people chose to endure hardship because they feared losing strength without oppression. He respectfully told them that people wanted to control their own lives, not rely on rulers or leaders. He stated that China did not need gods, emperors, or saviors and refused to serve leaders who sought power for their own goals. Wei believed the goal of modernization should be to improve people’s lives, with democracy, freedom, and happiness for all.
Wei’s views differed from most participants in the Democracy Wall movement, who focused on the conflict between a bureaucratic class and the people. Instead, Wei believed the root of people’s problems was a system that allowed one group to control everything. He was one of the few activists who openly disagreed with Marxism and the leadership of a Marxist party.
Arrest and imprisonment
Wei is also known for his work as an editor for the magazine Explorations (探索) in 1979. In March 1979, he published a letter in which he spoke out against the harsh conditions in Beijing’s Qincheng Prison, where the 10th Panchen Lama was held.
His writings, which criticized the government, led to his trial and imprisonment. Orville Schell, a writer and expert on China, wrote:
On March 25, after learning that a sudden crackdown was coming, Wei and his colleagues quickly published a special edition of Explorations titled “Do We Want Democracy or a New Dictatorship?”
Wei and about thirty other activists from the Democracy Wall were arrested soon after. That October, Wei Jingsheng was put on trial and accused of giving military information to a foreigner and trying to overthrow the government and the socialist system in China.
Because of his strong opinions, Wei was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Wei spent a total of 18 years in various prisons in China. During this time, he wrote letters explaining his views. These letters were collected into a book titled The Courage to Stand Alone: Letters from Prison and Other Writings. Some letters were written directly to Deng Xiaoping, while others were addressed to Wei’s family members. He remained in prison until September 14, 1993, when he was released one week before the International Olympic Committee voted on whether to give the 2000 Summer Olympics to Beijing or Sydney. Wei continued to speak out, even though he faced the risk of being arrested again.
On February 27, 1994, Wei met with John Shattuck, a U.S. government official who works on human rights issues, to discuss conditions in China. He also spoke with reporters. Wei was arrested the next week along with fifteen other activists. He was released soon after and sent into exile in Tianjin. However, Wei was arrested again on April 1, 1994, when he tried to return to Beijing. He was charged with plotting against the state and sentenced to 14 years in prison. He was released in November 1997, reportedly because of health reasons, and was immediately sent to the United States. His move to the U.S. was influenced by international pressure, including a request from U.S. President Bill Clinton.
COVID-19
In a September 2021 documentary titled What Really Happened in Wuhan, Australian reporter and writer Sharri Markson stated that Wei claimed he tried to warn American officials about COVID-19 in October 2019 after learning about an outbreak from people in Beijing. Wei also claimed that China became aware of the virus earlier than they admitted and deliberately spread the virus during the World Military Games in Wuhan, which took place from October 19 to 27, 2019.
Recognition
In 1996, Wei Jingsheng received the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. He has also received many other awards related to human rights and democracy, such as the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award in 1996, the National Endowment for Democracy Award in 1997, the Olof Palme Memorial Prize in 1994, and the International Activist Award from the Gleitsman Foundation in 1993.