Amid economic downturn and political pressure, Chinese teenagers are experiencing a mix of awakening and decadence. One 17-year-old boy made a resolute decision to travel to the United States alone. What prompted him to make such a drastic choice?
Xiao Liu (pseudonym) comes from a middle-class family in China. In the past, his family was financially stable. Xiao Liu even visited the United States on a group tour in 2016 when he was 8 years old. However, the outbreak of the pandemic in 2019, coupled with a series of extreme containment measures by the Communist Party, led to a deteriorating financial situation for his family.
“The situation at home is getting poorer,” Xiao Liu explained. His father owned a company, but during the pandemic, the factory faced difficulties in receiving raw materials, leading to significant financial losses. Since 2022, Xiao Liu recalls that his father stopped providing the family with living expenses, and they mostly relied on his mother’s previous savings.
“To be honest, I used to be a ‘little pink.’ During the pandemic, everyone was somewhat discontent because we were all affected to some extent. People began to turn against the Party, including some around me who started to become defiant,” Xiao Liu expressed.
As Xiao Liu was in middle school at the time, the school implemented mandatory nucleic acid testing, with tests conducted every three days. He recounted how students lined up in the auditorium for testing and were prohibited from bringing phones, necessitating the presentation of their health codes for scanning. One of his classmates was placed under mandatory quarantine for 14 days due to proximity to a positive case during testing, thus missing school.
Xiao Liu shared with reporters that he learned to bypass internet censorship in fifth and sixth grade. During the pandemic, he started expressing anti-Communist sentiments on social media, which quickly caught the attention of the authorities. The Public Security Bureau soon located his mother and warned her to stop speaking negatively about the country or face consequences. This led to a confrontation between mother and son.
His mother questioned him, “If you like America so much, why?” Defiantly, Xiao Liu responded, “I never mentioned America at all when I posted. I was always criticizing the Communist Party. So why would I like America?!”
During the period of pandemic restrictions, Xiao Liu spent increasing time bypassing censorship and also began reading the Bible. Gradually, he realized that the Party portrayed itself as perfect while ignoring its numerous flaws and suppressing dissenting voices, prompting a shift in his views towards the Party.
His first awakening came with the knowledge of the Tiananmen Square massacre, a pivotal moment shared by many. Witnessing the White Paper Revolution unfolding domestically and seeing videos of people protesting on YouTube further fueled his questioning of the Party.
Reflecting on ideological education in schools, Xiao Liu began to question the notion of ‘loving one’s country and the Party,’ believing it to be detrimental. He highlighted the vast difference between China’s five thousand years of culture and the relatively short tenure of the Communist Party, deeming their alliance unrealistic.
“For me, China is the land that nurtured me, while the Party is just a political entity. China’s long history stands firm, but the number of people governing China remains uncertain. The Party represents the rulers, whereas the nation embodies the land and culture,” Xiao Liu stated.
According to his observations, Xiao Liu categorized the youth in China into three groups:
First, those more radical and anti-Party, typically from middle-class or previously well-off families hit hard by the pandemic.
Second, those leaning towards support of the Party, often from families lacking notable skills or status, or individuals who benefit from Party connections.
Third, those apathetic towards politics, prevalent among females and individuals solely focused on living their lives.
He mentioned the emergence of a subgroup of young people labeled as “spiritual youngsters” who engage in reckless behaviors like street racing, smoking, and fighting, attributing their defiance to the oppressive societal influences permitted by the Party.
Xiao Liu emphasized that while societal pressures and parental control play a role in shaping these teenagers, ultimate responsibility lies with the Communist Party for stifling dissent and perpetuating ignorance among Chinese citizens.
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