Dan Fengchen: Young Man Challenging the CCP – Are You Still Alive?

In 2020, Shandong youth Zhang Wenbin publicly released a video on an online platform, using his real name, to boldly declare the slogan "Communist Party, step down." (Webpage screenshot)

October 23, 2024 – Over the past four years, I often think of a brave young man. When I saw the famous human rights lawyer Wang Quanzhang regain his freedom after unjust imprisonment, I thought of him; when I saw the international community and righteous individuals speak out for "China's Conscience," lawyer Gao Zhisheng, I thought of him; when I read articles praising the bravery of Peng Zaizhou, the hero of the Sitong Bridge protest in Beijing, I thought of him; and when I saw Ren Zhiqiang’s daughter plead with the authorities to allow her father to seek medical treatment abroad, I always think of him!

On March 30, 2020, Shandong youth Zhang Wenbin released a video, publicly and boldly calling for the "Communist Party to step down" and for "Xi Jinping to step down." The video attracted widespread attention from netizens, garnering 88,000 views, thousands of shares, and likes within just 18 hours.

From the video footage, we can see Zhang Wenbin's expression was very solemn as he repeatedly said "step down." His nostrils flared several times due to the intensity of his emotions. Clearly, he felt the immense and bloody power of his opponent, yet he resolutely chose to face it with courage! It is not hard to imagine that this was a voice and energy he had been suppressing and nurturing for a long time. What we see is just a short video, but who knows how many sleepless nights he had already endured to reach this point.

In 2020, the anti-extradition bill protests in Hong Kong surged like a tidal wave. If the young people of Hong Kong, who frequently displayed banners with the slogan "Heaven will destroy the CCP" during the protests, were acting in line with divine justice, then Zhang Wenbin's earth-shattering cry from within mainland China required an even greater level of unimaginable courage.

In the video, Zhang Wenbin said: "I used to be a little 'pink' supporter of the CCP, but after bypassing the Great Firewall and slowly seeing the true, evil face of the Communist Party, I changed. From the land reform, the Cultural Revolution, the three-year famine, the one-child policy, the Tiananmen massacre, the persecution of Falun Gong, to the oppression of the people of Tibet, Hong Kong, and Xinjiang – today the CCP has extended its claws to the entire world, yet people still turn a blind eye, even praising them. I simply cannot tolerate it anymore."

With these words, Zhang Wenbin succinctly and clearly revealed his journey of awakening. The key turning point that transformed him from a "CCP fan" into a fierce critic was bypassing the Great Firewall and seeing the truth.

Is bypassing the firewall and seeing the truth really that powerful? Let's take a look at a solemn statement published on July 12, 2016, on the Epoch Times' website for quitting the CCP – to feel the impact firsthand...

"I have always lived within the 'wall,' and I never knew the Party had done so many bad things. At this moment, I suddenly realized that under the brainwashing I experienced from a young age, I had equated love for the country with love for the Party, becoming someone without faith or reverence. But the most terrifying thing is that the people around me have become accustomed to all of this. No one questions the unreasonable nature of violent repression, the Party's use of the people's money to enjoy privileges while oppressing the citizens, or how the Party's will overrides the entire country and its laws. No one told me that this was abnormal. So, after I accidentally bypassed the firewall and learned the truth, I became very angry! It turns out I have been living in a country without human rights, without freedom of speech, and without freedom of information, and I was completely unaware. The media, schools, and even my parents would never tell me these things, and I had no way to access this information through the internet! I am a marginal person within the system. I have benefited a little from the system, but more than that, I’ve seen how people within the system use power for their own gain. I used to feel inferior because I didn't have money or power like them and had to work hard to live. So, when I learned of the CCP’s wrongdoing, I immediately accepted it, because I am a victim—many of my rightful privileges have been taken away! Suddenly, many things from the past clicked into place. Here, I solemnly declare: I want to withdraw from the Communist Youth League. I love my country, but I do not love the Party. I hope more people like me, who have been deceived, can see the true face of the Party and understand the true history! Declaration by Gai Xingwen."

Violence and lies are the two foundational pillars of the Chinese Communist regime. For years, the CCP has forced its deceptive propaganda through the Party’s cultural control, blocked truthful information through the ever-rising Great Firewall, and enforced online censorship and terror. Through this, and with the help of its “Little Pink” and “50 Cent Army” (online propagandists), the CCP has turned many Chinese into fools, deaf and blind to the truth, obediently following the Party's lead. As Zhang Wenbin painfully expressed, “I learned that a few of my close friends from high school have become 'Little Pinks' and 'self-motivated 50 Cent' individuals. I can’t accept how the CCP has blinded everyone’s eyes through its lies and trapped people behind a high wall."

By bypassing the firewall, Zhang Wenbin’s eyes were opened. In pursuit of more truth, he not only bypassed the firewall but also traveled outside of mainland China, visiting Hong Kong, Tibet, and Xinjiang. He said, "I went to Hong Kong in May of last year, and in June, the anti-extradition protests erupted. Afterward, I learned more about the CCP's crimes in Tibet and Xinjiang. I’ve also visited Tibet, and I found the local people to be simple and kind, not at all like what others have described." After discovering the truth, Zhang Wenbin began to despise the CCP’s deceitful media: “I feel that mainland media are all garbage!”

At the end of 2019 and into 2020, the CCP virus (COVID-19) broke out and ravaged the world, further revealing the CCP’s evil nature to humanity. The regime has become a global pariah, with voices demanding an investigation into the virus’s origins, accountability for CCP officials covering up the pandemic, and compensation for the world’s losses, growing louder and more frequent. Ultimately, these voices will converge into a mighty wave calling for the “destruction of the CCP and the collapse of the Great Firewall.” In this context, Zhang Wenbin is riding the tide of this historical moment. Zhang Wenbin said, “This pandemic was the catalyst that compelled me to say 'the Communist Party must step down.'"

At the end of his video, Zhang Wenbin said, “Perhaps I will never live to see the day the Communist Party falls, and I don’t know if anyone will even see this video. But, I have been here in this world…” His words evoke a sense of tragic heroism, like a warrior prepared for battle, knowing he may not return. Zhang Wenbin clearly understood the enormous price he might pay for his actions under the CCP’s bloody regime. He had already mentally prepared himself to face the worst—to confront death and be reborn through it.

Dr. Yang Jianli, the founder of the Citizen Power Initiatives for China, expressed deep concern for Zhang Wenbin's safety in an interview with Epoch Times, urging everyone to pay attention to this brave young man, to turn one person's courage into collective bravery.

Dr. Yang said that Zhang Wenbin’s video carried two slogans: "Xi Jinping step down" and "The Communist Party step down." In democratic societies, such statements are normal because they reflect political rotation. But in China, such a statement becomes a serious political problem, as the CCP’s one-party dictatorship allows no challenges to its authority or its leadership. Any speech challenging the regime is considered “rebellion” in the eyes of the CCP.

He continued, "By saying this, it likely means Zhang will end up in prison, and his family will suffer greatly. But in truth, he is only exercising his rights. According to Article 35 of the Chinese Constitution, citizens have freedom of speech, but that’s just words on paper."

Zhang Wenbin said, "I have been in this world." At 25 years old, in the prime of his youth, if he were to continue that sentence, it would likely be, "I am leaving this world."

After Zhang Wenbin called for the Party to "step down," the authorities responded immediately by permanently banning his social media account and making him disappear. For the past four years, I have continued to search for news about Zhang Wenbin, but there has been no word—his life or death remains unknown.

Conclusion

For Zhang Wenbin's solitary bravery in confronting the CCP, netizens praised him: "A righteous and brave young man"; "I almost cried watching this. How many people don't dare to say these words"; "A true hero versus a fake emperor"; "He’s wearing a cowboy hat—maybe it’s a sign that he yearns for the freedom and democracy of America. Keep going, righteous warrior!"

If the lone hero Zhang Wenbin is still alive, he would now be 29 years old. In terms of age, I could be his elder, yet I deliberately used the honorific "您" in the title of this article to express my deep respect for this young man.

Responsible Editor: Jin Yue