An Interview With the Father of the Chinese Democracy Movement

Wei Jingsheng was recognized in Mike Pompeo's historic speech on China

Activist Wei Jingsheng in a Skype interview with the Hong Kong Epoch Times. Screenshot/The Epoch Times

For 18 years, Wei Jingsheng was imprisoned in China. His crime? An essay posted on a wall in China’s capital. 

As a young man, he authored a piece titled “The Fifth Modernization,” vocally critiquing the Chinese Communist Party’s authoritarian governance. His essay emphasized the need for democracy to achieve a true modernization of China.