Former Secretary-General of “Chinese Human Rights Watch” and human rights activist Ms. Xu Qin recently traveled to Beijing with her husband Tang Zhi to appeal against the deduction of their pension. They were intercepted by over ten plainclothes individuals on their way to the train station, and their phones were confiscated. Tang was taken to the police station and released several hours later.
A source, known as Xia Yu, informed Epoch Times that since the incident, Xu Qin and her husband’s phones have been closely monitored to check for any connections with alleged “foreign forces.” Xia Yu mentioned, “I have also had little contact with them.”
According to Xia Yu, on July 20, the local village secretary requested a conversation with Xu Qin over the phone, but the request was declined. On July 21 noon, Xu Qin and her husband prepared to travel from Tangzhuang Village to the train station. Shortly after, 12 plainclothes police officers intercepted them, claiming Xu Qin was still in a period of being “stripped of rights” and could not go to Beijing.
Xu Qin requested proof, and a police officer named Zhou stated, “If we allow you to go, we will issue you a written decision; if not, we will not provide you with one.”
At that moment, Xu Qin used her phone to record the scene as evidence, but the police confiscated it. Tang Zhi reported the incident to the police, but instead of intervening, they forcefully took Tang Zhi to the police car and brought him to the station. They checked their phones for any overseas connections, stating that “if there are any, it constitutes treason.”
The police deleted all videos in Tang Zhi’s phone. After being detained for over four hours at the police station, Tang Zhi was sent back to the village.
Later, Xu Qin discovered that the police had tampered with her phone, rendering the audio and video functions unusable.
It is understood that Xu Qin’s trip to Beijing this time was to appeal against the pension infringement case. She will continue to file appeals in the future.
Xu Qin, a resident of Gaochun City, Jiangsu Province, was a member of the “Rose Team” and has long been dedicated to human rights affairs in China.
On February 9, 2018, Xu Qin was first criminally detained and secretly detained for ten months before being released on bail for home surveillance. Just two days before the surveillance expired, on November 7, 2021, she was taken away again and quickly arrested. She was wrongfully sentenced to four years for “inciting subversion of state power” and deprived of political rights for two years. She was released from prison on July 11, 2025, after serving the full term.
Since July 2025, her retirement pension has been suspended by the authorities; subsequently, it was reduced by 500 yuan per month. She was also asked to return the pension received during her imprisonment period, with a threat to cease all payments if she does not comply. Xu Qin’s husband, a farmer with no income, faced financial difficulties due to the suspension of the retirement pension.
On September 17, 2025, Xu Qin responded to the Gaochun Social Security Bureau’s demand for the return of her pension. She requested to meet with Wang Huanhong, the director of the Gaochun City Petition Bureau, to provide the legal names, legislative time, and legal provisions related to the social security bureau. She demanded an immediate cessation of infringements and the return of all illegally deducted pensions to restore pension entitlements.
In November 2025, Xu Qin sued the Social Security Center in court. On January 26, 2026, she filed an administrative lawsuit against the Gaochun City Government and the Social Security Center.
Xu Qin believes that the retirement pension is a right she should enjoy after contributing labor and paying according to regulations during her working years, protected by the Social Insurance Law. Therefore, her rights protection actions have been ongoing.