In Shandong, Director Yu Kai of the “Xiaolin Law Firm” has been advocating for reform of the judicial system openly for many years. On March 26th, Yu Kai protested in front of the Chinese Communist Party’s Ministry of Justice, holding up a sign, and was criminally detained by the police for “provocation,” sparking attention and support from the outside world and the legal community.
Yu Kai, the lawyer, demonstrated and expressed his demands in front of the Chinese Communist Party’s judicial department this time, and submitted a “Reflection on the Illegal Behavior of Setting up a List of ‘Key Controlled Lawyers’.” The core demands include: autonomy of bar associations and freedom of payment; abolition of annual inspections, lawyer blacklist, and other hidden rules.
At the same time, Yu Kai also filed a lawsuit against Qingdao Judicial Bureau Director Deng Huanli, accusing him of abusing power and having unclear sources of massive assets.
According to information provided by insiders, on March 31st, Lawyer Li Guobei went to the Beijing Xicheng District Detention Center to meet with Yu Kai. The deputy director intentionally made things difficult, locking Li Guobei alone in the meeting room from 2 pm until after 8 pm. Despite various obstacles, Li Guobei finally met with Lawyer Yu Kai.
The investigating unit did not agree to release him on bail pending trial. Yu Kai expressed gratitude to the society and all sectors of the community through Li Guobei for their attention.
In August 2023, Yu Kai and five other lawyers from the law firm jointly submitted a proposal to the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC to abolish the “provocation” crime. In July 2024, Yu Kai was ordered to suspend business for a year by the Qingdao Judicial Bureau; in July 2025, Yu Kai once again called for the abolishment of the “provocation” crime. This latest arrest has drawn strong attention from the legal community.
On April 1st, Chinese human rights lawyer Zhou Shifeng publicly wrote to the Beijing Public Security Bureau Chief and Party Committee, stating that Yu Kai’s actions did not involve any violations of the law, and requested a careful handling of the case and the lifting of coercive measures.
Chinese human rights lawyer Xu Silong told Da Ji Yuan that Yu Kai’s actions do not constitute a crime, and being accused of “provocation” is a deliberate persecution by the Chinese Communist Party. “Hanging a banner at the judicial department is in line with the freedom of speech in the criminal law, and it is not illegal. This is purely a trumped-up charge by the Chinese Communist Party.”
Xu Silong stated that under pressure from the public, the CCP abolished labor re-education, but used the “provocation” crime as a means to suppress the people. “They had to find a substitute, so this ‘provocation’ crime is used as a ‘pocket crime.’ In the past two years, they have extensively used this charge against dissidents and human rights defenders.”
Xu Silong added, “The ‘provocation’ crime is differentiated from hooliganism and carries a stigmatizing effect. It implies that the person is not doing anything positive.”
Xu Silong said that many lawyers on the mainland continue to stand at the forefront of resistance, with Yu Kai being one of them. “Lawyer Yu Kai is a brave lawyer in mainland China, you could say he is at the forefront, and he is truly a rare lawyer.”
Mainland lawyer Cheng Hao (alias) stated that Yu Kai’s core demands involve the livelihood rights and professional dignity of 100,000 lawyers, triggering broad resonances within and outside the system.
The “provocation” crime not only threatens the personal rights of all citizens but also directly relates to the legitimacy foundation of China’s entire criminal legal system.