By Jianli Yang – Jan 30, 2023
As Antony Blinken prepares to embark on his first trip to China as Secretary of State, activists around the world are urging him to place human rights at the top of his agenda. For Blinken to do so would certainly be in keeping with America’s tradition of championing freedom and democracy — a tradition that has so benefited me. As a former political prisoner of China, who owes his freedom to the support of many American men and women, I hope and believe that U.S. support will help free prisoners of conscience in my home country.
Particularly worrisome is the fate of the young Chinese men and women who have been “disappeared” or detained for leading recent peaceful demonstrations that have become known as the “Blank Page Movement.” The protests began with people by expressing their frustration over the Chinese Communist Party’s draconian “Zero-COVID” policy and quickly evolved into a movement demanding broader freedoms… [Continue Reading]
Source: https://thehill.com/opinion/international/3833509-in-beijing-blinken-should-appeal-for-the-freedom-of-blank-page-protesters/