At the opening of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, veteran criminal defense lawyer in Yunnan, Zuo Zhihai, publicly criticized the CCP for disguising party interests as national interests and depriving people of their rights in a video, sparking heated discussions on the internet.
In an interview with the Epoch Times, Lawyer Zuo Zhihai recounted his journey from legal practice to political awakening, emphasizing that Chinese people lack the rights to elect, legislate, and oversee finances, making them “cattle and horse slaves” rather than masters of the country. Lawyer Zuo called on the public to undergo a spiritual transformation from “inferior citizens” to “citizens,” placing hope in the younger generation to drive change.
On October 21, a video shot by Yunnan lawyer Zuo Zhihai spread widely on online platforms. Leveraging his identity as a lawyer and years of legal practice, Zuo Zhihai systematically analyzed the current political and economic structural issues in China in the video.
In the video, Zuo Zhihai pointed out that under the guise of “state ownership,” the CCP completely controls China’s natural resources and prohibits private ownership by citizens in legal form, effectively stripping people of their property rights. Meanwhile, state-owned enterprises and central enterprises monopolize key industries, evolving into “party-enterprises,” continuously exploiting the people through industry monopolies.
Even more concerning is the alienation in the fiscal system. Zuo Zhihai stated that party interests are disguised as national interests, and the highly centralized power has turned the fiscal system into a “treasury” for specific groups. People lack the supervision rights over tax collection and utilization, with tax revenues ultimately flowing to the ruling class and its affiliated groups. According to his observations, about 900 million people in China face multiple hardships such as poverty, unemployment, and illnesses but lack corresponding social security systems.
In an exclusive interview with the Epoch Times on October 21, Lawyer Zuo Zhihai detailed the evolution of his ideological journey. Starting his practice in 2007, he mainly engaged in criminal defense work. It was this professional experience that allowed him to closely observe the operation of the CCP’s judicial system.
Zuo noticed that in handling criminal cases, a lawyer’s professional competence often pales in comparison to interpersonal relationships. The public prosecution and judicial system turn cases into mechanisms for exchanging interests, with sentencing standards heavily influenced by illegal factors. Even the food supply in detention centers is incorporated into profit systems, turning the basic needs of detainees into a source of profit.
These observations led him to reflect on the fundamental problems of the legal system. He gradually realized that beneath the surface manifestations of judicial corruption, there were deeper institutional reasons. Through extensive reading and contemplation, Zuo Zhihai’s understanding expanded from specific judicial issues to an analysis of the overall political structure.
After years of contemplation and observation, Lawyer Zuo Zhihai concluded that there are three core criteria to determine whether citizens are truly the masters of the country: the right to vote, the right to participate in legislation, and the right to oversee finances.
“The first is about the leaders, whether you have the right to vote, whether you have a ballot; the second is about the formulation of national laws, whether you have the right to participate in the drafting; the third is about how taxes are collected and where they are used.” He believes that only when people possess these three rights simultaneously can they truly become masters of the country; otherwise, they are merely ruled.
Zuo Zhihai particularly emphasized the pivotal role of the right to vote. Using case studies, he analyzed that if local leaders were elected directly by the public, ineffective governance could lead to their removal and the selection of more suitable candidates by the people. This mechanism can fundamentally curb the abuse of power and corruption. Conversely, in systems without the right to vote, the public has no constraints on policymakers and can only passively endure the consequences of various policies.
With regards to legislative rights, he pointed out that laws should be formulated democratically by all citizens and not unilaterally decided by specific groups. When people cannot participate in the law-making process, laws can become tools to uphold specific interests rather than rules that protect the rights of all citizens.
The oversight of finances is directly related to the distribution justice of national resources. Zuo Zhihai analyzed that in the absence of effective supervision, the collection and utilization of taxes are completely opaque. Citizens cannot refuse unreasonable taxes or monitor whether fiscal expenditures are genuinely used for public services.
Lawyer Zuo Zhihai believes that the deep-rooted problems facing Chinese society are not only at the institutional level but also in the state of mind of the people. He proposed that people need to undergo a fundamental transformation from an “inferior citizen consciousness” to a “citizen consciousness.”
He pointed out that true citizen consciousness lies in daring to defend legitimate rights. Compared to Western societies, when the government infringes on people’s rights, citizens, based on a clear understanding of their rights, will immediately take action to defend them. In China, many people damaged by rights violations neither dare to fight for their rights nor have effective channels and can only hope for the emergence of “honest officials” like the fictional character Bao Qingtian.
This formation of “inferior citizen consciousness” has historical roots. Zuo Zhihai analyzed that after the CCP seized power, multiple political movements almost completely wiped out the intellectual elite. The Cultural Revolution thoroughly eliminated groups with independent thinking, leaving behind compliant individuals, leading to a gap in critical thinking and a lack of citizen consciousness.
To achieve this consciousness shift, people must first recognize the rights they should enjoy and then cultivate the courage and capability to defend those rights. Lawyer Zuo believes this is not only an individual awakening but also a process of rebuilding the entire societal culture.
Recently, Lawyer Zuo Zhihai published his confession in the overseas magazine “Beijing Spring” and drafted the “National Constitution Draft” and the “Proposal for Nationwide Constitutional Republic.” He explained his initial intentions: to solve China’s existing problems fundamentally involves establishing a state rules system involving all citizens; the difficulty in forming opposition forces lies in the lack of a complete alternative social system construction.
However, these more theoretical articles had limited resonance, prompting Zuo Zhihai to adjust his communication strategy. He started creating videos on social platforms such as X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok, using the concept of “anti-fraud,” familiar to the public, to analogize political issues, making abstract institutional criticisms more accessible and understandable.
Zuo Zhihai admitted that his strategy underwent a transition from theoretical exposition to popular communication. The reality of “low views, less attention” made him realize the need to convey information in ways more readily accepted by the public. He even considered further simplifying his statements, directly using Taiwan’s political development path as a reference, providing a concrete and relatable point of comparison for the public.
Regarding the future direction of China, Lawyer Zuo Zhihai pins his hopes primarily on the younger generation. He pointed out that from 2015 to the present, the number of university graduates in China has almost reached one billion. These young people have received higher education, possess basic information acquisition and analytical capabilities. More importantly, they are experiencing the realities of society.
He believes that over the past years, the CCP’s various policies and the resulting hardships have objectively accelerated public awakening. Extreme epidemic prevention policies, livelihood issues during economic crises, and tensions between the government and the people provide more compelling experiences than theoretical teachings; as more people suffer losses, they will reflect on the root causes of problems.
When asked why he chose to speak out publicly, Lawyer Zuo Zhihai expressed a sense of historical responsibility. He said, “If suddenly I am old and dying,” facing oppression without daring to resist would be a lifelong regret. While admitting that as “an ordinary lawyer, I do not have much power,” he believes at least one should dare to express and resist.
“Everyone has different professions,” as a lawyer, upon recognizing the problems existing in society, there is a responsibility to inform those who have not yet seen the truth. This is a professional responsibility and a citizen’s duty.
Currently, Lawyer Zuo Zhihai has relocated overseas, unable to return to China due to writing anti-CCP content. He firmly believes that the accumulation of social contradictions and the gradual awakening of the public consciousness will spur opportunities for change. He hopes that through personal courage and action, he can provide enlightening revelations for the public.