In the news dated February 14, 2026, Chinese renowned independent investigative journalist and self-media author Liu Hu and his assistant Wu Yingjiao were arrested by the Chengdu police in China earlier this month due to an investigative report exposing the corruption allegations against the county party secretary in Chengdu. Meanwhile, the county party secretary implicated in the corruption scandal continues to lead a high-profile life, appearing in public places, sparking public outrage both domestically and internationally.
Last Sunday (the 8th), around fifty to sixty members of the Chinese Democratic Party United Headquarters in the Western United States staged a protest in front of the Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles, strongly condemning the Chinese Communist Party’s persecution of investigative journalists and self-media authors, as well as its comprehensive suppression of public opinion. Protesters called for the immediate release of Liu Hu and Wu Yingjiao, and an end to the political persecution of press freedom and citizens’ speech.
Liu Hu has previously worked for several media outlets and is considered one of the few remaining independent investigative journalists in mainland China. In 2013, he was detained for nearly a year on charges of “slander” after publicly accusing a deputy minister-level official of corruption. On January 29th of this year, he and his assistant published an investigation report on their WeChat public account titled “The Sichuan County Party Secretary Who Drove a Professor to Death, Now Pushing Investment Enterprises towards Bankruptcy?” Four days later, they were arrested by the Chengdu police on charges of “defamation” and “illegal business operation.”
Wu Yingjiao, a post-90s individual, transitioned from a poet to an investigative journalist. According to the independent media “Aquarius Era,” he is described as a young man who cares about the fate of the grassroots people, inequalities in the judiciary, embraces social ideals, and possesses talent and courage. His recent arrest has deeply affected his family.
Questions are raised by observers about whether the police completed the investigation into the county party secretary within days of the report’s release. The swift arrests of journalists and deletion of articles suggest that the authorities are suppressing public opinion to protect corrupt officials.
During the protest in front of the consulate, organizer Yi Yong condemned the Chinese Communist Party for considering “speaking the truth” as a crime in itself. He stated that Liu Hu is hailed as the “last flag of investigative journalism in China” and has exposed senior officials’ corruption multiple times under real names. In 2013, he was illegally detained for 346 days, eventually found innocent and received government compensation. This recent arrest indicates that China’s press freedom and legal environment are regressing.
Demonstrators raised banners with pictures of Liu Hu and Wu Yingjiao, shouting slogans outside the consulate: “Truth is not a crime, journalism is not a crime; Release Liu Hu immediately! Release Wu Yingjiao immediately!”
Chinese Democratic Party member Huang Sibo, speaking at the demonstration, highlighted that in China, not only influential figures like celebrities and journalists face suppression, but ordinary citizens who criticize the Communist Party or speak the truth are also harassed, detained, or even go missing.
“This is the most terrifying reality under Communist Party rule – Chinese people have no freedom of speech, no right to whistleblow, and no citizen security,” declared Huang Sibo, urging human rights activists to continue exposing the true face of Chinese society, resist tyranny, work towards genuine democracy and rule of law, and completely overthrow the dark rule of the Communist Party.
Protesters expressed concerns that in recent years, investigative journalists exposing the darker sides of society have become scarce under the suppression of the Chinese Communist Party. The unlawful arrest of Liu Hu is not an isolated incident but a symbol of the systemic suppression of press freedom and elimination of independent voices by the Chinese authorities. When disciplinary inspection agencies replace the courts and police power overrides the law, the supervision of public opinion is completely destroyed, and society falls into fear and silence.
The organizers emphasized that suppressing journalists and investigative reporting cannot hide the truth but only exposes the nature of the Chinese Communist Party’s dictatorial and lawless regime. The Chinese Democratic Party’s Western branch will continue to voice out for human rights, rule of law, and press freedom in China through peaceful and open means.