Yu Jie (), is a Chinese-American writer and
Calvinist
Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...
democracy activist. The bestselling author of more than 30 books, Yu was described by the ''
New York Review of Books
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
'' in 2012 as "one of China's most prominent essayists and critics".
Yu Jie is also active in the
Chinese dissident
This list consists of activists who are known as Chinese dissidents. The label is primarily applied to intellectuals who "push the boundaries" of society or criticize the policies of the government. Examples of the former include Wei Hui and Jia ...
movement, and was arrested and allegedly tortured in 2010 for his friendship with
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Swedish industrialist, inventor and armaments (military weapons and equipment) manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Chemi ...
laureate
Liu Xiaobo and a critical biography of Prime Minister
Wen Jiabao
Wen Jiabao (born 15 September 1942) is a retired Chinese politician who served as the Premier of the State Council from 2003 to 2013. In his capacity as head of government, Wen was regarded as the leading figure behind China's economic policy ...
titled ''
China's Best Actor''. Following more than a year of house arrest, Yu emigrated to the US with his family in January 2012. Later that year, he was awarded the
Civil Courage Prize
The Civil Courage Prize is a human rights award which recognizes "steadfast resistance to evil at great personal risk—rather than military valor." The prize was founded in 2000 by the Northcote Parkinson Fund. The goal of the prize is not to cr ...
of the
Train Foundation
John Pell Coster Train (May 25, 1928 – August 13, 2022) was an American investment advisor and writer. He was a founding editor of ''The Paris Review''.
Early life
Train was born on the Upper East Side of Manhattan to Helen Coster Gerard and ...
. More recently, he has become among the most outspoken Chinese-dissident supporters of Donald Trump's policies towards China. Upon Justice
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Joan Ruth Bader Ginsburg ( ; ; March 15, 1933September 18, 2020) was an American lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1993 until her death in 2020. She was nominated by President ...
's death in 2020, Yu says he "laughed to the heavens" to celebrate the death of "America's most evil enemy."
Early writing career
Originally from
Chengdu
Chengdu (, ; Simplified Chinese characters, simplified Chinese: 成都; pinyin: ''Chéngdū''; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: ), Chinese postal romanization, alternatively Romanization of Chi ...
, Yu attended
Peking University
Peking University (PKU; ) is a public research university in Beijing, China. The university is funded by the Ministry of Education.
Peking University was established as the Imperial University of Peking in 1898 when it received its royal charter ...
and majored in modern
Chinese literature.
His first book, ''Fire and Ice'', included extensive political and social criticism. Upon its 1999 publication, Yu became a "literary sensation". In the same year, he met and befriended democracy activist
Liu Xiaobo, and became active in the
Chinese dissident
This list consists of activists who are known as Chinese dissidents. The label is primarily applied to intellectuals who "push the boundaries" of society or criticize the policies of the government. Examples of the former include Wei Hui and Jia ...
movement. As part of his work with Liu, he read and commented on drafts of the democracy manifesto
Charter 08
Charter 08 is a manifesto initially signed by 303 Chinese dissident intellectuals and human rights activists. It was published on 10 December 2008, the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopting its name and style from ...
and helped found the Independent
PEN Center
PEN International (known as International PEN until 2010) is a worldwide association of writers, founded in London in 1921 to promote friendship and intellectual co-operation among writers everywhere. The association has autonomous Internation ...
.
Yu became a bestselling author in China
and as of 2012, had written more than 30 books.
However, his criticisms of the government eventually caused his works to be banned in mainland China.
In 2004, Yu published the piece "Apologies to Tibet" () on
boxun.com
Boxun () is an aggregation website, which focuses on alleged political scandals in China. Boxun is partly backed by the China Free Press project
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is t ...
, which expressed regret for China's rule of Tibet and praised the efforts of
Palden Gyatso
Palden Gyatso (1933, Panam, Tibet – 30 November 2018, Dharamshala, India, bo, དཔལ་ལྡན་རྒྱ་མཚོ་ dpal ldan rgya mtsho) was a Tibetan Buddhist monk. Arrested for protesting during the Chinese invasion of Tibet, he ...
, a pro-independence monk. His piece was criticized by Chinese netizens and he was heckled by overseas students in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
for attacking "national unity", but he dismissed these critics as angry brainwashed youth. Yu Jie also promotes
reconciliation with Japan, the
US invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq was a United States-led invasion of the Republic of Iraq and the first stage of the Iraq War. The invasion phase began on 19 March 2003 (air) and 20 March 2003 (ground) and lasted just over one month, including 26 ...
, and
religious freedom in China for Christians, after converting to Christianity himself.
2010 arrest
Yu was detained by security officials in July 2010 to discuss his upcoming book ''
China's Best Actor: Wen Jiabao'', "a scathing critique" of China's
prime minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
that Yu intended to publish in
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
.
The book argued that Wen's warm, empathic public persona was simply a facade, and that he shared the same goals of other Chinese leaders.
According to Yu, one official stated that his book was "harming state security and the national interest", and if it were published, Yu would probably be imprisoned "for many years".
Yu nonetheless proceeded with publication of the book in August.
On October 8, 2010, Yu's good friend
Liu Xiaobo was named the winner of the
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Swedish industrialist, inventor and armaments (military weapons and equipment) manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Chemi ...
. On October 13, Yu was placed under house arrest, allegedly for his plans to write a biography of Liu as well as for having proceeded with the publication of ''China's Best Actor''.
He later wrote that during this period, "I was tortured by the country’s secret police and nearly lost my life".
According to Yu, he was stripped naked, burned with cigarettes, and beaten until he was hospitalized.
His house arrest, and a concomitant travel ban, lasted until January 2012, at which point he and his family emigrated to the US.
Following his emigration, he submitted a nine-page report detailing his alleged torture to the
US State Department
The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other nati ...
and the
United Nations Human Rights Council
The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), CDH is a United Nations body whose mission is to promote and protect human rights around the world. The Council has 47 members elected for staggered three-year terms on a regional group basis. ...
. He stated that he was continuing to write Liu's biography, and was also at work on a new biography of Chinese president Hu Jintao titled "Hu Jintao: Cold-Blooded Tyrant".
Personal life
Yu has a wife, Liu Min, and one son, Yu Guangyi.
He converted to Christianity in 2003,
and in China was a member of a
house church
A house church or home church is a label used to describe a group of Christians who regularly gather for worship in private homes. The group may be part of a larger Christian body, such as a parish, but some have been independent groups that see ...
.
Awards and honors
In 2012, Yu was named the winner of the 2012
Civil Courage Prize
The Civil Courage Prize is a human rights award which recognizes "steadfast resistance to evil at great personal risk—rather than military valor." The prize was founded in 2000 by the Northcote Parkinson Fund. The goal of the prize is not to cr ...
of the US-based
Train Foundation
John Pell Coster Train (May 25, 1928 – August 13, 2022) was an American investment advisor and writer. He was a founding editor of ''The Paris Review''.
Early life
Train was born on the Upper East Side of Manhattan to Helen Coster Gerard and ...
.
The prize recognizes "steadfast resistance to evil at great personal risk — rather than military valor." The prize comes with a $50,000 honorarium. He was the first Chinese person to win the award, and he stated that he hoped the prize would encourage China's dissidents.
Controversial behavior
In 2020, when
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
An associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States is any member of the Supreme Court of the United States other than the chief justice of the United States. The number of associate justices is eight, as set by the Judiciary Act of 18 ...
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Joan Ruth Bader Ginsburg ( ; ; March 15, 1933September 18, 2020) was an American lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1993 until her death in 2020. She was nominated by President ...
passed away, and both the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
and the
Republican Party expressed their silent tribute. However, Yu Jie said that he "can't help laughing up to the sky", and called her "the worst enemy of the United States" which caused criticism from some twitter users for his unrespectful speech. Regarding the
Black Lives Matter
Black Lives Matter (abbreviated BLM) is a decentralized political and social movement that seeks to highlight racism, discrimination, and racial inequality experienced by black people. Its primary concerns are incidents of police bruta ...
, he wrote an article criticizing it as "
anarchism
Anarchism is a political philosophy and movement that is skeptical of all justifications for authority and seeks to abolish the institutions it claims maintain unnecessary coercion and hierarchy, typically including, though not necessa ...
" that is "more evil than
dictatorship
A dictatorship is a form of government which is characterized by a leader, or a group of leaders, which holds governmental powers with few to no limitations on them. The leader of a dictatorship is called a dictator. Politics in a dictatorship a ...
".
At the end of 1999-2000, Yu Jie published the article "Yu Qiuyu, Why Don't You Repent" as he is a student in
Peking University
Peking University (PKU; ) is a public research university in Beijing, China. The university is funded by the Ministry of Education.
Peking University was established as the Imperial University of Peking in 1898 when it received its royal charter ...
, in which he questioned Yu Qiuyu, "If all Chinese people do not repent, then China's freedom and justice only exist in the 'past' and the 'future'. If We have all lost the memory of suffering, crime, and responsibility like Mr. Yu Qiuyu, so the happiness and peaceful life we expect will never be guaranteed." Call it "the leftover of the
Cultural Revolution
The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement in the People's Republic of China (PRC) launched by Mao Zedong in 1966, and lasting until his death in 1976. Its stated goal ...
" (after Yu Jie In the article "We are Guilty, We Repent", it is inappropriate to use "the leftover of the Cultural Revolution", and apologize to Yu Qiuyu for this title in this article). Yu Qiuyu wrote a defense in "Answer to Mr. Yu Jie". This is also the only time Yu Qiuyu published an article to respond to any criticism by name. After that, the two met in Chengdu. Not long after, Yu Jie published a long article "We are Guilty, We Repent - and Answers to Mr. Yu Qiuyu", arguing that in Yu Qiuyu's statement of many specific facts, "there are a lot of things that avoid the important, contradict themselves and even turn black and white." It is necessary to make my own inquiries, doubts and rebuttals". Yu Qiuyu did not respond directly to this. However, there are opinions that Yu Jie relied on hearsay and Sun Guangxuan's "family possession materials" as evidence; some people think that Yu Jie should feel lucky that Yu Qiuyu did not investigate his legal responsibility; Some people feel sorry that Yu Jie, as an author with creative ability in his own right, unites with
Sun Guangxuan,
Jin Wenming and others who are famous only by criticizing Yu Qiuyu.
In 2022, after the death of
Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...
, Yu Jie wrote an article on Facebook, claiming that Hong Kong people called the Queen a "wife of affairs"(
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...
:)(localized nicknames by Hong Kong), which reflected the "ignorance" of the Chinese about the British political order which caused criticism from many netizens, some netizens accused him of deleting other people's messages and some netizens posted on Instagram to refute Yu Jie's statement that "wife of affairs" is just a friendly approach in Hong Kong, and everyone knows that the Queen has no actual power based on the
constitutional monarchy
A constitutional monarchy, parliamentary monarchy, or democratic monarchy is a form of monarchy in which the monarch exercises their authority in accordance with a constitution and is not alone in decision making. Constitutional monarchies dif ...
. They also criticized Yu Jie and others like him have Pride and Prejudice as a older generation Public Intellectual which gossip at the new generation of pro-democracy activists.。
Main works
*Yu, Jie. ''Governance with Common Sense: Right-wing Trump’s Ruling Wisdom (''用常識治國:右派商人川普的當國智慧 ''yong changshi zhiguo: youpai shangren chuanpu de dangguo zhihui)'' Taipei: Baqi wenhua, 2020.
*
*''Fire and Ice'' (1998), Economy Daily Press, China.
*''Screams within Iron House'' (1998), Chinese Industry & Commerce Syndicate Press.
*''Fire and Ice'' (1999), (
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
edition), Cosmos Books.
*''To Say, or not to Say'' (1999), Culture and Art Publishing House.
*''Awkward Times'' (1999), YueLu Publishing House.
*''Civilization Pain'' (1999), (Self Anthology), Bai Hua Publishing House.
["Civilization Pain (]
2010.
*''Fly the Wings'' (2000), China Film Publishing House.
*''The Road of Wandering Hero - The Mind History of the Transformation Intellectuals in our times'' (2009), Taiwan Linking Publishing Co.
*''
China's Best Actor: Wen Jiabao'' (2010), New Century Publishing Co.
See also
*
Protestantism in Sichuan
The Protestant mission began in the Chinese province of Sichuan (formerly romanized as Szechwan, Szechuan, or Ssuchuan; also referred to as "West China" or "Western China") in 1877, when premises were rented by the China Inland Mission in Chung ...
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yu, Jie
1973 births
Charter 08 signatories
Chinese anti-communists
Chinese Calvinist and Reformed Christians
Chinese dissidents
Chinese emigrants to the United States
Chinese exiles
Chinese people of Mongolian descent
Chinese political writers
People's Republic of China essayists
Chinese classical liberals
Chinese human rights activists
Peking University alumni
Sichuanese Protestants
Writers from Chengdu
Chinese biographers
20th-century biographers
21st-century biographers
20th-century essayists
21st-century essayists
Living people