Three heroes from Handan, Hebei Province, issued an open letter before the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2022, calling for amendments to the CCP Charter by removing the phrase “the Party leads everything” and prohibiting personality cults. They were taken away by the police. Among them, retired writer Tian Qizhuang was sentenced to 2 years in prison for “provoking trouble” and was released today upon completing his sentence.
According to reports from a human rights website, 71-year-old Tian Qizhuang was released on August 27. He was held in a prison in Handan, Hebei Province, and was charged with provoking trouble. His fellow detainee Dong Hongyi was released half a year ago after serving a sentence of 1.5 years and is now 78 years old.
Li Yingzhi, a Chinese human rights activist who witnessed the events of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, posted related photos and videos on the social media platform X, expressing, “This morning, Mr. Tian Qizhuang finished his two-year prison term and regained his freedom. He was imprisoned for opposing Xi Jinping’s cult of personality in a public letter! He is 71 years old! How many people have the courage to challenge the CCP in their older years like him in this oppressive regime!”
“Tian is our role model! Salute!! If more people make efforts like this, China would have changed long ago! If the elderly can do this, what about the younger generation?! Life is lived in this moment, what is the true meaning?!”
Before the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (August 22, 2022), Dong Hongyi, Ma Guiquan, and Tian Qizhuang from Handan City jointly issued a statement calling for two important amendments to the CCP Charter, including the removal of the related paragraph stating “the Party leads everything” and further clarifying the prohibition of personality cults with penalties.
The open letter stated that the Constitution stipulates that “all political parties” must abide by the Constitution and laws, giving limited powers to the CCP. However, the last paragraph of the revised “Constitution of the Communist Party of China” adopted at the 19th National Congress included the phrase “the Party leads everything.”
The letter mentioned that throughout history, no organization has been authorized to “lead everything,” nor has anyone been able to achieve such leadership. They suggested that the party charter should promote the separation of party and government and require “major leaders in important positions” to accept questioning from various sectors, encouraging competition for leadership positions among officials.
The letter also criticized the CCP’s control over the nomination of delegates in the National People’s Congress elections. Additionally, the phrase “the Party leads everything” led to chaos during the Wuhan epidemic, with no officials held legally responsible, while Dr. Li Wenliang, who spoke out the truth, was reprimanded by the public security.
The letter also pointed out that the CCP Charter lacks sanction measures against any form of personality cult and suggested that “Party members who use their authority for personal cults should be expelled from the Party and recommended for dismissal from public office.”
The letter concluded with concerns that without strong pressure for the rule of law, the revival of personality cults is likely, and the tragedy of the Cultural Revolution could reoccur.
Tian Qizhuang has been working in Handan, serving as a reporter for the “China Coal News,” a member of the Hebei Writers Association and Essayists Association. He also worked at the public welfare organization “Gongmeng” founded by Xu Zhiyong, a key figure in the New Citizens’ Movement.
On April 20, 2022, Tian Qizhuang reported to the Central Discipline Inspection Commission of the CCP about Liu Ning, the Party Secretary of Guangxi, violating the Party Charter by promoting a cult of personality, leading to a raid by national security and a warning not to speak out.
Ma Guiquan, 78, worked in the railway department and Handan Iron and Steel Company after graduating from university. He was the former Minister of Transportation at Handan Steel until his retirement in 2006. Dong Hongyi is a worker at Handan Steel in Handan City.