Chinese human rights petitioners who attempted to appeal to U.S. President Donald Trump during his visit to Beijing have faced police harassment, detentions, and enforced disappearances, sources told the Chinese edition of The Epoch Times.
While Trump arrived in the capital for high-stakes talks on May 14, dozens of grassroots activists sought to leverage the international spotlight to draw attention to the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) human rights abuses, resulting in a swift crackdown by the CCP.
On the morning of Trump’s visit, activists Tian Ye, Wang Guoping, and Dong Kuihong staged a demonstration at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. The trio unfurled banners welcoming Trump and calling for his attention to China’s human rights situation.
According to Tian, other activists had planned to join their demonstration but withdrew at the last minute due to fear of retaliation.
Tian told The Epoch Times prior to losing contact with the outside world that he hoped Trump would pay attention to the country's political prisoners and prisoners of conscience.
"We also hope for a closer relationship between China and the U.S., so ordinary Chinese citizens can better understand America and ultimately pursue the same democracy and liberties," he said.
Both Tian and Wang have previously served prison terms and administrative detentions for their petitioning efforts.
Petitioners in Desperate Bid to Meet Trump
Jiang Jiawen, a veteran petitioner from Dandong City, Liaoning Province, told The Epoch Times that on the morning of May 14, more than 100 petitioners were detained and transferred to a processing center at the Fuyou Street Police Station, located near the Zhongnanhai leadership compound, where Xi gave Trump an "extremely rare" private tour the next day.Jiang described a scene of defiance inside the detention facility, where crowds began chanting slogans including, "A Warm Welcome to President Trump," "President Trump, Please be aware of Chinese Human Rights," and "Long Live President Trump."
"The reason people were so excited despite being detained is because in mainland China, we have nowhere left to voice our grievances," Jiang said. "Many petitioners traveled thousands of miles, risking arrest and interception, just to welcome (Trump), the representative of the free world."
Jiang himself experienced two arrests in his attempt to meet Trump. On May 4, he hired a car to bypass the checkpoints and enter Beijing. "I avoided using my phone or ID card, but I was still intercepted by the police's facial recognition in Beijing and escorted back to Dandong (city) on May 12."
Preemptive Crackdown in Shanghai
The security apparatus also moved preemptively against dissidents outside Beijing. On May 8, days before the Trump visit commenced, Shanghai-based petitioners Gu Guoping, Liu Dongbao, Song Jiahong, Chen Zhongmin, and Huang Zhengquan displayed banners urging the U.S. delegation to confront Beijing over its treatment of prisoners of conscience.The demonstration triggered immediate blowback from the municipal police.
"We were all summoned, interrogated, and had our statements taken for the official record," Gu told The Epoch Times following his release.
He confirmed that Liu Dongbao has since vanished. "I have tried calling his phone for three consecutive days, and it remains unanswered."