After being under strict Chinese Communist Party control for 7 years and facing 3 failed attempts to leave the country, Chinese dissident Sun Yuanping finally managed to escape China in July 2026 and arrived in Australia. However, his escape did not put an end to the ongoing surveillance and persecution he faced.
Sun Yuanping recently revealed in an interview with “Epoch Times” that even after his departure, several friends who were not aware of his escape plan were still being pursued by authorities, with 4 of them being criminally detained.
He stated that coming to a free society does not mean staying silent, and he will continue to advocate for human rights and social injustice in China.
Sun Yuanping told reporters that in mainland China, he was constantly under surveillance, with his phone and every move being monitored by authorities.
According to a report by Voice of America on March 24, 2019, Sun Yuanping was summoned by the Shijiazhuang Public Security Bureau for “provocation” and was administratively detained for 7 days.
The administrative penalty decision circulating online showed that Sun Yuanping used his Twitter account to repost so-called “inappropriate political comments,” but did not specify the exact content.
He was deemed to be “provoking trouble” primarily because his tweets involved Xi Jinping and advocacy for vaccine victims.
Sun Yuanping believed that his detention in 2019, ostensibly for his tweets, may have been triggered not just by his online remarks but also by his associations with individuals like Gao Yu, Pu Zhiqiang, Bao Tong, and others who regularly gathered in Beijing.
He emphasized that despite the official reasons given for his detention, the punitive measures taken against him seemed excessive.
Sun Yuanping revealed that following his failed attempt to leave Shanghai in April 2026, a friend from New Zealand saw the information and ultimately assisted him in successfully leaving China.
On July 4, 2026, he first arrived in Thailand, then traveled to Malaysia, and finally reached Australia on July 9, where he began the process of applying for political asylum.
Sun Yuanping did not disclose the specific details of his escape route and methods.
He expressed his surprise that after his departure, his friends in China were being investigated and criminally detained.
He disclosed that his four friends who were criminally detained were the security company director Wang Haibo, property company manager Liang Haiming, mobile phone repair shop owner Zhan Fei, and retired teacher from Hebei Arts School Zhu Yanguo.
Sun Yuanping received information that a “big leader was angry and anxious,” prompting the establishment of a special “project team” by the Public Security Ministry to investigate the matter, expanding the scope from him to his family and friends. He noted that the harassment extended to his friends and sister by the Hebei public security.
Public security personnel requested his sister to pass on a message: “You left, so stay quiet, don’t speak out, don’t accept media interviews, and don’t create any negative impact.”
He believed that such actions were aimed at creating a deterrent effect and instilling fear in the public to prevent dissent and aid to those who speak out against the government.
Leaving China did not silence Sun Yuanping; instead, he felt that he now had a bigger space to voice his opinions freely.
He stated that he will not be silenced by threats from the Chinese authorities and will continue to focus on human rights and social injustice in China.
Sun Yuanping mentioned that his actions over the years involved more than just “speaking online” and included advocacy for cases of social injustice like those of Nie Shubin and Jia Jinglong.
He pointed out that within mainland China, avenues like petitioning and legal activism were set up as traps by the authorities without real solutions, creating a high-pressure environment with no outlet.
Sun Yuanping expressed his interactions with Xu Zhiyong, Ding Jiaxi, and others and how the increasing number of arrests and escapes of his friends in China had led to a sense of panic and anxiety within him.
He acknowledged that many dissenters in China face surveillance, restrictions, and pressure, and leaving behind the place where he lived for 55 years brought a sense of bitterness, but he did not feel like he lost anything as he believed in the righteousness of his actions.
In conclusion, Sun Yuanping encouraged other brave individuals who are still under the monitoring and control of the CCP to continue their fight while protecting themselves and following their conscience to do what they believe is right.