Chinese Journalist & #MeToo Activist Sentenced for 5 Years

Nearly 3 years ago, Sophia Huang Xueqin, a Chinese journalist who stood at the forefront of the #MeToo movement in China, was detained and arrested at an airport in Guangzhou. Wang Jianbing, a labor activist, was with her at the time and was arrested as well. Both activists had held forums and meetings encouraging young people to have open conversations on China’s social issues. Because of the work they were doing, the Chinese government had them placed in solitary confinement for almost 1,000 days with their trial only beginning September 2023. Ten months later, Ms. Huang was found guilty of “subversion against the state” with a sentencing of five years in prison; Mr. Wang was sentenced with three and a half years of prison time on similar charges.

The public’s response is mixed. Some continue to criticize the feminist movement in China, while advocates for the #MeToo movement and those calling for social change remain active and anonymous online. The campaign group, Free Huang Xueqin and Wang Jianbing, confidently stated, "Their efforts and dedication to labor, women's rights, and the broader civil society won't be negated by this unjust trial...On the contrary, as oppression persists and injustice grows, more activists like them will continue to rise."

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