In front of the Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles, Chinese people are often seen protesting on weekdays: some protest against forced demolitions, some against judicial injustice, some against religious persecution, and some speak out on behalf of victims. Zhang Junjie, a post-00s Chinese student studying in the United States, also frequently joins the protests. Although he has not directly suffered persecution, he feels it is his duty to speak out for the oppressed.
Zhang Junjie comes from Shanghai and started studying in the United States in high school. He is tall and when you first see him, he looks like a Japanese sumo wrestler, but when he starts chatting, you feel he is more like a refined historian. He exudes a maturity that surpasses his actual age.
This maturity was evident during his high school years, with classmates often surrounding him to listen to his analytical reasoning. Teachers and parents also took notice, with some warning him and other parents complaining that he was influencing their children’s thinking and asking them to avoid contact with him.
In fact, he did nothing wrong, just cultivated a habit of reading history since he was 9 years old, which made him appreciate comparing past and present, seeking reasonable explanations for reality. “History is like the DNA of a country,” Zhang Junjie said.
Around 2014, while he was still in junior high school, he was already over 1.7 meters tall. Teachers noticed his influence among classmates, jokingly referring to him as a “master with two apprentices.”
His independent thinking made teachers who were used to brainwashing students every day worried. They would often tell Zhang Junjie, “Your thinking is wrong, you should not think like that. As a Young Pioneer, you should be loyal to the Party and to the motherland.”
“At most, my thinking may be immature, but you cannot say my thinking is wrong.” Unlike in China, Zhang Junjie said teachers already have a set of standard answers before you even start thinking.
Apart from studying history, as a junior high school student, Zhang Junjie also enjoyed “auditing classes” at universities. Schools like Huashida and New York University Shanghai often held academic events, and upon learning about them, he always found ways to attend in order to learn English, observe and learn from others’ ways of thinking. This gradually widened the gap in his thinking compared to his peers.
“While boys in my class love playing games and girls enjoy shopping and idol chasing, I loved reading history books and novels, of course. At that time, I also ‘chased stars,’ but I chased liberal scholars, and Yu Ying-shi’s works were a must-have on my desk,” Zhang Junjie said.
Once, the language teacher asked students to write diaries. Zhang Junjie believed that diaries are meant for personal reflection, so he criticized some unreasonable practices of the school in his diary. Unexpectedly, the teacher, after reading it, immediately pressured him, saying his thoughts were not in line with the mainstream ideology, the diary involved political issues, and had negative content.
Regularly reading history made Zhang Junjie feel like he had developed a form of immunity against being completely brainwashed. Despite the Communist Party spreading its ideological net everywhere, Zhang Junjie was like a “fish that slipped through the net.” His parents believed his personality was not suitable for the domestic environment, so they suggested he study abroad in the United States.
After coming to the US to study, Zhang Junjie found that this was the ideal campus life for him. “American schools generally encourage students to think, express themselves, ask questions, and have their own ideas, even if they are not mature. They believe that thinking itself is a good thing,” Zhang Junjie said, a stark contrast to Chinese teachers; American students are more confident, brighter, while Chinese students seem more inferior and hesitant to express themselves.
The 2016 presidential election had a significant impact on him. After the election, he saw many people protesting on the streets, with some teachers even leading students in protests. This was quite shocking for him, who had recently arrived in the US. “I knew the US is a free democratic country, but I had no firsthand experience.” He keenly felt the completely different social atmospheres between China and the US.
At that time, he was already aware of the truth about the Tiananmen Square massacre, but his understanding was superficial. “In China, not to mention protests, even discussing ‘June 4’ is taboo, and even discussing other negative social news is forbidden.”
In 2019, the anti-extradition protests erupted in Hong Kong. After researching the information, Zhang Junjie was infuriated by the Chinese Communist Party’s actions. He posted support for Hong Kong in a WeChat group, but shortly after, his WeChat account was blocked. He asked friends to help him apply for unblocking, but they were too scared to guarantee it.
When then-President Trump mentioned shutting down WeChat, Zhang Junjie noted that WeChat may have wanted to show a stance, so they unblocked his overseas registered account. However, he found that his posts were being censored, and others could not see them.
“At that time, I thought, how should I support Hong Kong?” After seeing information about Los Angeles local democracy movements in The Epoch Times, Zhang Junjie thought if he couldn’t express himself in his home country, why not try abroad? So he joined the Telegram group of the Chinese Democratic Party and learned that they would be holding a Halloween march in Hollywood to support Hong Kong. That day, he rushed over.
“I thought: I want to openly oppose the CCP, I’m not afraid of what others say, I believe what I’m doing is the right thing.” That night, Zhang Junjie put the mask on top of his head. The sight of the march greatly encouraged him: “I found many people supporting us.” This event also gave him the opportunity to meet democracy activist Zheng Cunzhu.
From commemorating “June 4” to supporting Li Wenliang, as he attended more gatherings, Zhang Junjie’s circle of acquaintances expanded. “I have many friends, including those who have come over the years, each with different stories. My original social circle couldn’t connect with these people.” The stories of those who risked their lives to flee China shocked him and evoked great sympathy.
“I have experienced firsthand the injustice in Chinese society, the evils of this system, how the CCP destroys a person’s fate, casting shadows over their lives. I sympathize greatly with them,” Zhang Junjie said. His interactions with those who fled China made him realize his mission.
Generally, international students have to pay higher tuition fees than Americans. Zhang Junjie analyzed that the parents of an international student typically have an annual income of not less than 1 million RMB, as otherwise, they would not be able to afford the annual cost of 60-70,000 dollars.
“A well-read, conscientious, and socially responsible person should help speak up for the public. Otherwise, why should you occupy societal resources to receive a better education? Where does your life’s meaning and societal value lie?” Zhang Junjie believes that Chinese people receiving higher education in the US benefit from society and should also give back to society. “Speaking up for marginalized groups is the mission of intellectuals.”
As he was eloquent, after protesting multiple times in front of the Chinese Consulate, he gradually became an active host and a figure closely monitored by the Chinese Ministry of State Security. His relatives in China were threatened and harassed one after another, with the police claiming he was “subverting state power and should return to surrender.”
“They (the Chinese Communist Party) don’t want me to speak out precisely because they are fearful. They know that their actions go against natural law and morality,” Zhang Junjie stated. He also published a statement on The Epoch Times website, formally withdrawing from the Young Pioneers organization he had once joined.
Personally, he believes that spreading historical knowledge and exposing the evils of the CCP is the most powerful way to resist its tyranny. “The CCP knows that what they are doing is unacceptable, so they must make more and more people aware of their evil deeds.” Zhang Junjie said that when more Chinese people realize that human rights are essential, the CCP will no longer be able to oppress the Chinese people without limits. “By then, when Chinese people’s hearts are lost, and no one follows them, the CCP’s dictatorship will crumble overnight.”