The phone and mobile of Chinese independent journalist Gao Yu have been cut off for over half a month. (Screenshot from Radio Free Asia's "Viewpoint" program)
[People News] Renowned Chinese independent journalist Gao Yu, known for exposing social issues and openly criticizing the government, has repeatedly crossed the CCP's red lines. Since late August, authorities have cut off her cell phone number, home landline, and even her broadband. In an interview with Voice of America, Gao Yu expressed that these oppressive measures have made her life in Beijing, which highly depends on internet access, extremely difficult, to the point where she cannot even book medical appointments. Despite these many challenges, she firmly stated that she will not close her account on the social media platform X, nor will she be silenced because of this.
"My current life feels like someone from a remote mountain village with no internet at all who has arrived in Beijing," Gao Yu summarized her "internet-free life" of over two months in one sentence. However, these seemingly light words do not compare to the hardships of her real situation.
Gao Yu Still Cut Off from the Internet
According to Voice of America, Gao Yu overcame significant difficulties to connect to the internet for her interview. She explained that as early as August last year, her social functions on WeChat, such as Moments and group chats, were completely blocked, leaving her only with basic one-on-one chat functions. More severely, since August 26 this year, her mobile phone number, home landline, and broadband internet were all abruptly cut off overnight.
She explained that living in Beijing heavily relies on mobile communication, as nearly everything requires mobile payments and QR code verification. The lack of internet has left her in a state of "social death," where even basic rights like hailing a taxi are stripped away.
Gao Yu explained that in these past two months, without a phone, she has been unable to order a rideshare car, often waiting over an hour on Beijing streets to flag down an available taxi. Online shopping and food delivery have become "impossible tasks," and even shopping at physical stores is troublesome without QR code payment, often causing unnecessary inconvenience.
As an independent journalist, Gao Yu’s lack of a phone and internet prevents her from engaging in the "scan-to-live" lifestyle. Even her laptop is of little use without internet access, leaving her with no choice but to "borrow internet" by moving close to a neighbor’s home or to nearby restaurants to post and research.
More critically, her basic medical and safety rights have been severely restricted. Gao Yu explained that a few years ago, she suffered a fractured left shoulder from a car accident and still requires regular check-ups and medication. However, without a phone or WeChat, even booking appointments has been impossible.
Recently turned 80, Gao Yu had access at home to an "one-click" emergency calling device installed by the Beijing government for residents over 80, but this is now just a decoration since the internet is down. In case of an emergency, such as a fall at home, she would not even be able to call 120 (the emergency medical service number in China).
Unafraid of Official Pressure, Gao Yu Posts Over 19,000 Messages on X
The authorities have not openly stated why they are pressuring Gao Yu this way, but she said she understands that these tactics aim to force her to shut down her account on the American social media platform X and stop posting publicly.
Since opening her X account (formerly Twitter) at the end of 2009, Gao Yu has amassed nearly 450,000 followers and posted nearly 20,000 messages. Even in the past two months, where she’s only been able to "borrow internet" to post, she has managed to post over 50 messages at a rate of one to two posts per day.
For example, on November 1, she shared a poignant comment about Chinese human rights lawyer Wang Yu’s hunger strike in detention, stating: "Without judicial fairness and with grim law enforcement, the ugliness of society will only become more frequent."
Gao Yu mentioned that the only remaining means of communication in her household is her son’s phone, which still has WeChat. However, as soon as he leaves the house, she loses convenient external contact. Compared to others, like monitored dissidents in China or even anti-CCP activists abroad, she finds herself in the most difficult situation. She remarked that the restrictions now are even stricter than when she had just been released from prison years ago and was still under political restrictions.
She told Voice of America: "I have only this little Twitter (X account), and you (the CCP authorities) are pressuring me like this, to the extent that my normal life is severely impacted. Tell me, what are you so afraid of? And who in China can even see (my X posts)? Xi Jinping's control over speech is beyond that of June Fourth and even surpasses the Cultural Revolution. Back then, during the Cultural Revolution, one could still publish their own little newsletters."
Forced to "Leave Beijing" During Major Events: Gao Yu "Taken on Tour" Three Times This Year
Besides using internet blockades to silence dissenting voices, the CCP frequently imposes stability maintenance measures around major events or politically sensitive dates, forcing dissidents out of Beijing or "on tour," a method that has caused frustration among many Chinese dissidents.
Gao Yu explained that this year alone, she was "taken on tour" three times. During the National People’s Congress in March, she was taken to Guangxi; around the anniversary of June Fourth in early June, she was accompanied by police to Hebei for eight days; and during the 20th Central Committee’s Third Plenary Session in mid-July, an event not typically considered highly sensitive, authorities took extra caution, sending her out of Beijing to Chengde, Hebei for "tourism."
She shared an absurd moment on August 28, just two days after her internet was completely cut off, when the head of the local police station responsible for monitoring her came to her door, insisting on taking her to Shandong’s seaside "on tour" because Beijing was hosting the China-Africa Cooperation Forum in early September.
But this time, Gao Yu firmly refused.
She told the police chief: "I don’t have a phone and can’t go out. What if I get lost on the road and can’t be found? I don’t even have a phone. What’s the point of going out?"
Ultimately, the seven-seat van designated to take her on the trip ended up parked outside her door, with police officers taking shifts to guard her home around the clock for 10 days until the China-Africa Cooperation Forum concluded.
Gao Yu noted that in October, if her internet had not been entirely cut off, she would likely have faced even more "watch posts" or "tourism" during a series of sensitive dates, including the CCP’s 75th anniversary on October 1, the second anniversary of the Sitong Bridge protest on October 13, the 105th birth anniversary of former CCP General Secretary Zhao Ziyang on October 17, and the anniversary of Zhao’s burial on October 18.
She commented, "When I think about it, I guess I have a pretty broad mindset; someone else would have died from anger by now. I just throw a fit at them (the state security agents), and that’s it. They have no good way to deal with me either. Anyway, nobody can conveniently reach me anymore. Before, people could still call me, right? Now, they can’t even do that."
Analysis: Gao Yu’s Resolve to Speak Out Is a Concern for the CCP
Despite various forms of pressure and restrictions, Gao Yu candidly told Voice of America in the interview that she will continue to post on X because there is no longer any media in China that can voice the people’s concerns. Only individuals like her, through social media, can still shout out with weak voices amid official suppression, persisting until their voices are hoarse.
Commentator Guo Baosheng from Virginia pointed out in an interview with Voice of America that the CCP’s extreme measures to cut off Gao Yu’s internet without any legal basis reflect a fearful and insecure attitude within the regime.
Guo Baosheng explained that as a professional journalist, Gao Yu was the first person arrested during the 1989 Tiananmen Square incident. After her release, she continued to support the families of Tiananmen victims, including helping the story of Ding Zilin from "Tiananmen Mothers" reach the media. Therefore, the CCP harbors a deep resentment toward Gao Yu.
Guo Baosheng added that since Gao Yu's self-media column and WeChat platform were successively banned, she has only been able to speak on X. Her sharp commentary on current affairs draws significant international attention, making her a particular target of CCP suppression.
"CCP is very wary of her (Gao Yu)’s statements because people still find ways to circumvent the firewall and read her posts. The CCP’s greatest fear is the Chinese people hearing the truth. Many other political prisoners have been sentenced over Twitter posts. Ms. Gao Yu has already spent many years in prison, and at her age, cutting her internet is also a form of punishment."
Wang Dan, a former Beijing June Fourth student leader based in the U.S., noted that Gao Yu is among the most vocal dissidents still speaking out in China, naturally making her a target of CCP repression.
Wang Dan explained that the CCP’s harsh move to cut off Gao Yu’s internet is primarily intended to intimidate other domestic dissenters by setting an example. This also shows that the CCP's determination to maintain stability at all costs has not changed. Wang Dan expressed concern that if there are future social disturbances in China, the authorities may resort to even more severe measures against Gao Yu.
Wang Dan told Voice of America: "The CCP will go to any lengths to maintain stability—a principle that hasn’t changed for decades. Gao Yu’s personal resistance may not make much difference; it still requires international support, especially from Western countries like the United States. Only by placing greater attention and pressure on China’s human rights regression can there be any impact."
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