Former Guangming Daily Editor Dong Yuyu Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison; Family Calls It "Grossly Unjust"

Dong Yuyu, former Deputy Director of the Commentary Department at China's Guangming Daily, was sentenced to 7 years in prison for espionage charges on November 29, 2024. (Photo sourced from the internet)

[People News] On Friday (November 29), the family of Dong Yuyu, the former Deputy Director of the Commentary Department at the CCP’s state-run Guangming Daily, who was sentenced on espionage charges, issued a statement saying, "Dong Yuyu is being persecuted for the independence he demonstrated during his journalism career." They described his sentencing as "a grave injustice to every Chinese journalist who values free thought and to every ordinary Chinese citizen striving for friendly engagement with the world." Meanwhile, U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns also condemned the CCP, asserting that Dong Yuyu’s sentencing for exercising his right to freedom of expression is unjust.

According to a report by Voice of America, the Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court sentenced Dong Yuyu to seven years in prison on Friday for alleged involvement in "espionage activities." Following the verdict, Dong's family issued an English statement to the media, saying: "Today’s verdict is a grave injustice not only to Yuyu and his family but also to every free-thinking Chinese journalist and every ordinary Chinese citizen striving for friendly engagement with the world."

U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns also issued a statement on Friday condemning the CCP’s sentencing of Dong Yuyu. He said: "Today, China (the CCP) sentenced Chinese journalist Dong Yuyu to seven years in prison on espionage charges. China’s constitution guarantees its citizens the right to freedom of speech, and it is unjust for Dong Yuyu to be punished for exercising his right to free expression."

Sentenced for Meeting with a Japanese Diplomat

Dong Yuyu, 62, was the former Deputy Director of the Commentary Department at the Guangming Daily before his arrest. As part of his work, he frequently met with foreign diplomats and journalists. In February 2022, Dong was detained by police at a Beijing hotel while having lunch with a Japanese diplomat. He was later prosecuted on espionage charges. Since July of last year, Beijing courts have conducted closed-door hearings on Dong’s case. It is reported that he had been held in a Beijing prison awaiting sentencing.

In a statement, Dong’s family said that the verdict specifically cited his meetings with Hideo Tarumi, the former Japanese ambassador to China, and Masashi Okada, the current Japanese consul general in Shanghai, as evidence of his alleged connections with espionage organizations. According to the family, the judgment was read out in court but was not provided to Dong’s lawyer or family members.

The family expressed shock that the Chinese authorities publicly labeled foreign embassies in China as espionage organizations and accused Japanese diplomats of being spies. The statement further noted that the court sentenced Dong to seven years in prison "without evidence," declaring to the world the "bankruptcy of China’s judicial system."

Wu Zuolai, an independent political scholar based in the U.S., told Voice of America that the CCP authorities should not use espionage charges against Dong Yuyu for private exchanges with foreign media and diplomats.

"As a journalist for Guangming Daily, he had no military background nor access to state documents," Wu said. "Journalists typically work with publicly available information. Even if he shared personal analyses during meals or private conversations, or engaged in purely academic or informational exchanges, these could easily be taken out of context. Revealing state secrets requires intent, and what he is accused of seems more like casual interactions common to media professionals or anyone."

The U.S. and the CCP recently reached an agreement to exchange six detained individuals, including U.S. citizen Victor Liang, Chinese-American businessman Kai Li (sentenced to 10 years for espionage), and Texas businessman Mark Swidan (facing a death sentence for drug charges). The identities of the three Chinese nationals released were not disclosed, but they were said to have returned to China.

Wu speculated that Dong Yuyu might have been "framed" and considered a "bargaining chip" by Beijing.

"China’s relations with Japan were tense at the time," Wu said. "They arrested several Japanese 'spies,' but when they couldn’t apprehend more Japanese nationals, they detained a Chinese person to fill the gap. Certain departments likely fabricated a case, resorting to coercion and forced confessions to create a 'significant achievement.' Once someone is sent in, it’s often difficult to obtain any information, and families don’t dare to speak out."

Wu also pointed out the lack of rationale and logic in the CCP’s accusations:
"It seems his problem lies in the circle of people he interacted with—journalists or embassy staff. Over the past few years, with the introduction of the National Security Law and heightened paranoia, authorities are eager to produce cases. Those who have more frequent contact with foreign embassies or journalists are being targeted. Often, foreign journalists or embassies invite Chinese individuals to events for exchanges. Sometimes, if they get along well, they might casually have a meal or tea together. If he were really a spy, he wouldn’t behave so casually."

Dong Yuyu’s family also noted that the scholarships he received from Japanese and American universities, including the prestigious Nieman Fellowship at Harvard University, were all rigorously vetted by the CCP authorities. His conviction, they argued, effectively marks the end of "citizen diplomacy," a form of interaction that the CCP has historically claimed to support.

Dong Yuyu's Tiananmen Ties and Writings Likely Led to His Sentence

Dong Yuyu, 62, originally from Fushun, Liaoning Province, joined the CCP-affiliated Guangming Daily after earning a master’s degree in law from Peking University. In 1989, he was sent to internal exile for one year for participating in the Tiananmen Square protests. Afterward, Dong returned to Guangming Daily, eventually becoming Deputy Director of the Commentary Department.

Dong also contributed to the reform-oriented historical magazine Yanhuang Chunqiu and the Chinese edition of The New York Times. In 2006, he received a Nieman Fellowship in journalism at Harvard University, where he spent a year as a visiting scholar. He also served as a visiting scholar at Keio University and Hokkaido University in Japan. At Guangming Daily, Dong frequently wrote commentaries on economic issues. In 2012, he authored an article for Yanhuang Chunqiu titled Why Republicanism Is the Historical Trend, advocating for constitutional government in China.

Dong’s family believes he was persecuted for his independence as a journalist. In their statement, they noted that Dong faced immense pressure for his published views even before his detention.

Feng Chongyi, an associate professor of China studies at the University of Technology Sydney, told Voice of America that Dong’s writings were more likely the reason authorities targeted him, rather than his frequent interactions with foreigners.

Feng explained that Guangming Daily traditionally catered to intellectuals and once enjoyed relatively greater editorial freedom. As Deputy Director of the Commentary Department, Dong would have overseen articles and editorials. However, as political space narrowed, his views likely became increasingly incompatible with the regime.

"In the Hu-Wen era, maintaining ties with foreign media or diplomats could even serve as a shield," Feng said. "Authorities wouldn’t crack down on such individuals lightly because of the potential international repercussions. Dong probably kept these relationships for that reason. But under Xi Jinping, those same connections are now framed as espionage, adding to the accusations."

Feng described Dong as a liberal intellectual who remained true to his beliefs, despite working within the system.

"Dong could never fully compromise himself to become a propagandist, pushing wolf-warrior diplomacy or attacking liberal intellectuals," Feng said. "He refused to abandon or change his principles to align with official narratives. Perhaps he was idealistic, still believing that his work fit within the party’s stated guidelines, even though the party had already abandoned them in practice."

In February, a Beijing court sentenced Chinese-Australian writer Yang Hengjun to death with a two-year reprieve on espionage charges. Feng noted that Dong’s case is part of a broader pattern of intellectuals being charged with espionage as a tool of political persecution.

"Dong Yuyu’s case is similar to Yang Hengjun’s, both examples of political persecution," Feng said. "Sometimes, authorities use subversion charges; other times, they use espionage charges. As a journalist, Dong naturally interacted with foreign media and individuals. The authorities spun these interactions into an espionage case. Espionage charges are convenient for the government because they involve secret trials, no witnesses, and no requirement to present evidence from foreign institutions or witnesses."

Since Xi Jinping came to power in 2012, space for civil liberties and free expression in China has shrunk dramatically. Chinese citizens working with or having contact with foreign media often face harassment, arrest, or detention.

Dong’s family revealed that his lawyer had told them that Dong remains physically active in detention, performing 200 push-ups and 200 leg raises daily to maintain his spirits.

The family’s statement emphasized that while the verdict will not tarnish Dong’s reputation among international friends who appreciate his work, domestic propaganda will undoubtedly mislead the Chinese public, the very people for whom Dong had long advocated. "Dong Yuyu is now seen in his own country as a traitor rather than someone who fought for a better society in China. This baseless attack on his patriotism is unacceptable," they said, adding that Dong plans to appeal.