Chinese dissident Dong Guangping has arrived in Canada after more than a decade of failed escape attempts, detentions, and forced returns that began after he fled China in 2015.
Dong, a former police officer from Henan Province, is known among Chinese democracy activists for keeping alive the memory of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre and for his long-standing resistance to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
He arrived in Toronto on an Air Canada flight on June 26, according to a social media post by Chinese Canadian author and democracy activist Sheng Xue, who helped advocate for him.
The arrival brought Dong onto Canadian soil one month after he crossed nearly 190 miles of open sea in a small inflatable boat, reaching waters off South Korea on May 25.
Years of Failed Escapes
Dong’s journey out of China spanned several countries and involved multiple failed attempts.
In a timeline posted on X, Sheng wrote that Dong fled China for Thailand on Sept. 18, 2015. He was arrested by Thai police on Oct. 27 that year and was taken from a Thai prison on the night of Nov. 12 before being returned to China the next day.
On Dec. 9, 2019, Dong entered the water from Shishi, Fujian Province, in an attempt to swim toward Taiwan’s Kinmen islands. About 10 hours later, Chinese fishermen rescued him and returned him to China.
On Jan. 5, 2020, Dong crossed into Vietnam and went into hiding. He was arrested in Vietnam on Aug. 24, 2022, and returned to China.
Sheng said Dong made at least two other failed attempts before reaching South Korea by sea in May 2026.
A Boat and Failed Engine
Dong had first planned to pilot the small inflatable boat more than 430 miles to Japan, according to Sheng’s post.
After nearly 190 miles, she said, the boat’s engine developed problems, his phone battery was nearly drained, and Dong began hallucinating and slipping into a semi-conscious state.
He then changed course and was rescued near South Korea’s Taean waters.
In a later post, Sheng said Dong had packed an unexpected item into the 3-meter boat: a bottle of local liquor bought in Weifang, Shandong Province.
Dong said in a video that he had rented a cheap room in Weifang for several months and had repeatedly visited the coast to study how he might carry out his escape by boat. He brought food and liquor, Sheng wrote, intending to celebrate at sea.
He did not get the chance, because he had to steer the boat and manage the crossing.
Democracy Advocates Welcome Dong
Dong’s arrival drew public congratulations from prominent Chinese democracy and religious freedom advocates.
Zhou Fengsuo, a Tiananmen Square student leader and founder of Human Rights in China, wrote on Facebook that Dong had arrived in Canada “after an extraordinary eleven-year struggle for freedom.”
“I have known Dong for decades,” Zhou wrote. “He has always stood out for his fierce pursuit of freedom, his resilience in the face of persecution, and his unwavering commitment to keeping the memory of Tiananmen alive.
“Dong’s safe arrival in Canada is a rare victory for conscience, courage, and perseverance. Freedom prevails.”
Wang Dan, another prominent Tiananmen student leader, wrote in a post on X: “Please send my regards to Brother Dong Guangping. Congratulations to him on obtaining freedom.”
Bob Fu, founder of ChinaAid, wrote on X that he congratulated Dong on arriving in “the land of freedom.” Fu also thanked Sheng for her “tireless efforts” and thanked the Canadian government for what he described as a swift decision to resettle Dong.
In another post, Wang Dai, vice chairman of the Federation for a Democratic China, wrote that Dong had “crossed the Yellow Sea alone in a lone boat” and finally stepped onto Canadian soil after “thousands of hardships.”
Celebrating New-Found Freedom
Dong attended a Shen Yun performance in Toronto with Sheng and friends on June 27, according to Sheng’s post.
Shen Yun had returned to the Four Seasons Centre after six Toronto shows were canceled in late March and early April over bomb threats that police later said were unfounded. The Epoch Times previously reported that Vancouver police linked the same email account used in the Toronto threats to a phone number based in China.
Sheng wrote in another post that the CCP’s alleged bomb threats against Shen Yun had instead made the performance better known.
Shen Yun Performing Arts, a New York-based classical Chinese dance and music company, says it presents “China before communism.” Many of its artists practice Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline persecuted by the Chinese regime since 1999. Shen Yun and local presenters have said the company has faced repeated harassment, intimidation, and threats intended to disrupt its performances.
For Dong, the event placed him among supporters in Toronto the day after he arrived in the country where his family had been waiting.
Dong had stated after arriving in South Korea that he planned to go to Canada to reunite with his wife and daughters, The Epoch Times previously reported.
His family had previously been resettled in Canada after Dong was returned from Thailand to China in 2015.
