Chinese "Little Pinks" Should Wake Up – A Tsinghua-Returned PhD Supporter of the Party Commits Suicide

Many out-of-town students living in tents on Tiananmen Square died inside them. (Photo: DaJiYuan ImageLib / Dajiyuan)

[People News] A so-called “patriotic,” “Party-loving” postdoctoral fellow who taught himself Marxism-Leninism and returned to China from abroad ultimately took his own life after being struck by the iron fist of the Party-state. This story is not only heart-wrenching, but also a sobering warning.

The individual in question was named He Zhaoxiangrui. Based on publicly available information, the general timeline of events is as follows:

In 2023, He Zhaoxiangrui earned his PhD in Atmospheric Science and Meteorology from the State University of New York at Albany.

From 2023 to 2024, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Research Foundation for the State University of New York.

In September 2024, he signed an agreement with Tsinghua University to carry out postdoctoral research in China.

At Tsinghua, He Zhaoxiangrui led a busy and productive life. According to his 2025 work journal, from January 1 to April 9, he spent most of his time writing grant applications (for postdoctoral funds, youth funds, YC plans), drafting academic papers, running data, and testing models. He only scheduled one movie outing and one dinner with a friend during that entire period.

On April 4, 2025, while walking in Beijing, He Zhaoxiangrui was stopped and questioned by police. Mistaken for a petitioner from out of town, he was handed over to the Sichuan Provincial Office in Beijing.

After confirming his identity as a postdoctoral fellow at Tsinghua, the Sichuan work team transferred him to Tsinghua’s campus security. The university’s Party organisation accused him of “representing foreign forces” and having “ideological instability.”

On April 5, his advisor at Tsinghua had a conversation with him. Later that day, the advisor messaged him on WeChat, notifying him that he would be expelled from the postdoctoral program.

On April 6, the advisor sent him an email formally instructing him to organise his materials, prepare for handover, and leave Tsinghua.

That evening, He Zhaoxiangrui pleaded with the department’s Party Secretary, surnamed Geng, saying “I am not a foreign agent,” “I haven’t changed ideologically,” and “My resolve is firm.” But it was all in vain.

At 3:40 a.m. on April 7, he left a suicide note stating he was going to “seek dialogue with Mao,” and jumped from the 15th floor of his residence.

Chat logs and diary entries shared online reveal that during his time in the U.S., he had written that he was studying for the “rise of the Chinese nation.” After returning to China, he remained convinced that “China will definitely surpass the U.S.” His favourite readings were original Marxist-Leninist texts and Selected Works of Mao Zedong, and he had even become an active candidate for Party membership. In other words, He Zhaoxiangrui was a textbook example of a patriotic, Party-loving, overseas-returned “Little Pink.”

His family believes his suicide stemmed from being unjustly expelled from his postdoc position, especially the accusations of being a “foreign agent.” His ideals were shattered, and his sense of self-worth destroyed. Unable to bear it, he chose to “die to prove his innocence.” After the incident, Tsinghua University’s response was cold and indifferent.

Looking at the entire chain of events, did He Zhaoxiangrui do anything wrong? Nothing at all.

Was he a foreign agent? Absolutely not—there’s no possibility of that. Was Tsinghua justified in forcing him out? Not in the slightest.

Did He Zhaoxiangrui truly love the Party and the country? Of course—otherwise, why would he choose to “die for his ideals”?

But the real question is: Just because He loved the Party and the country, does that mean the Party-state would love him back?

The answer is clearly no. The Party-state not only didn’t love him, but it mercilessly delivered blow after blow without any justification.

Examples like this have occurred time and time again throughout history and continue to this day. This time, it just happened to fall on He Zhaoxiangrui.

In my view, his tragic suicide serves as a loud wake-up call for all the “Little Pinks” out there. Hopefully, those who, like He, deeply love the Party and the country can finally open their eyes and see the Chinese Communist Party’s true, evil nature. Otherwise, today’s iron fist may have struck He Zhaoxiangrui—but tomorrow, it could strike you.