Chen Weijie, a native of Fenyi County, Xinyu City, Jiangxi Province, and former fitness coach from Shenzhen who migrated to the United States in May 2023, declared he would never return to China unless the Communist Party ceased to rule.
Chen Weijie’s early life was marred by hardship. His mother passed away during his childhood, and he left school in junior high to support himself. Setting up a street stall and selling goods on trains, he saved enough to continue his education at a secondary vocational school. In 1999, just as he graduated, his father tragically succumbed to a cerebral hemorrhage.
Further adversity came in the form of relentless persecution of his elder brother’s family by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) due to their religious beliefs, ultimately leading to the deaths of his brother and sister-in-law and orphaning their two children. His two cousins, daughters of his uncle, were incarcerated multiple times, their experiences leaving them too terrified to return home.
The shadows of the one-child policy
Chen Weijie vividly recalls an incident from his childhood in 1988. His uncle’s family, having been found in violation of China’s one-child policy, became the target of the local family planning office. Officials tore down their newly built brick house — a beautiful structure Chen’s father and uncle had pooled resources to build. The intrusion didn’t stop there; the family planning office seized their livestock, taking away the pigs that Chen’s family had been raising for their New Year feast.
His memory still holds darker tales. Chen Weijie learned about the ruthless handling of a pregnant woman in his village, who was about seven or eight months into her term. The family planning office, enforcing their brutal policy, kicked the woman in the belly to kill the unborn child in the womb, a heinous act that left Chen haunted. “Hearing that the family planning bureau could do such evil things during childhood, I felt [living in such an environment] I am sure to suffer from depression for the remaining years there,” Chen shares, reminiscing about the chilling atmosphere of his early life.
Discovering fitness and martial arts
Chen Weijie’s childhood was not without light, however. His father arranged for a martial arts master to teach him, sparking a love for fitness that stayed with him throughout his life. His dedication to martial arts and fitness resulted in a well-proportioned body shape and weight, maintained consistently over the years. In 2018, he relocated from Nanning, Guangxi to Shenzhen to work as a fitness coach. This move brought with it the opportunity to travel to Hong Kong and teach rehabilitation classes, sharing knowledge on muscle maintenance, shoulder, and neck exercises.
Experiencing real freedom: The Hong Kong protests
The following year marked the start of the anti-extradition movement in Hong Kong. Chen Weijie traveled to the city once a week, joining any Victoria Garden or Kowloon rally he encountered. “I had only one sole intention at the time, that is, to do whatever the CCP didn’t want me to do,” he states defiantly.
It was in Hong Kong that Chen discovered what he perceived as true freedom and democracy, a society governed by the rule of law. Contrasting his experiences with what he was taught in mainland China, he felt he had been living in a distorted reality. Determined to uncover the truth, Chen Weijie began using a VPN in 2018 to bypass the Chinese firewall.
During the rallies, he witnessed an aversion toward Mandarin-speaking mainland Chinese from Hong Kong locals. Undeterred, Chen voiced his stand loudly, shouting slogans like “The CCP is an evil organization” and “Heaven helps eliminate the CCP.” His involvement in the Hong Kong protests deeply moved him. Hearing the anthem Glory to Hong Kong would often bring tears to his eyes, as he recalled the unsettling scenes of violence and repression, including girls falling from buildings to their deaths.
Chen participated in the New Year’s Parade on January 1, 2020, among other demonstrations. The spirit of unity and support on the streets of Hong Kong, with locals offering umbrellas, masks, old clothes, and water to anyone in need, left a lasting impression of warmth in his heart.
A life in turmoil and seeking justice
In January 2020, Chen Weijie returned to Jiangxi and joined hands with a friend to open a hotel in Xinyu City. However, the subsequent years of the pandemic wreaked havoc on their business, leading to significant financial losses.
By August 2022, Chen found himself working as a maintenance worker at a company in Hezhou, Guangxi. Tragedy struck when he fell from a high altitude while welding, resulting in a comminuted fracture of his right thigh and a grueling 15-day ICU stay.
Chen Weijie, now using crutches, sought compensation for his treatment, only to be ignored by officials who passed responsibility from one department to the next. The quest for his rights led him to the Hezhou District Government. After a long struggle, the company finally agreed to a one-time compensation of 180,000 yuan (US$25,000). But the victory was tainted when Chen was detained for a night by the Public Security Bureau, forced to submit his iris image, DNA, gait, and a three-minute voiceprint.
A life-altering decision: Leaving China for America
During this period, Chen Weijie stumbled upon the possibility of seeking asylum online via YouTube. Deciding to escape to the United States, he followed the advice of his friends. He successfully navigated a complex journey, starting from Shenzhen to Beijing, flying onward to Turkey and then Ecuador. From there, he trekked through the Panamanian rainforest, across Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, and all the way to Mexico.
Translated by Chua BC
