In terms of foreign policy, the United States places too much importance on interests. It should place importance on humanity's values. Democracy, rule of law, constitutionalism, human rights, especially human rights -- they should make that number one!
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Before my escape, many friends among human rights activists, common people, and intellectuals felt a very strong sense of powerlessness. Some friends told me that after this thing happened, this voice of powerlessness is almost entirely gone. I think it's really great. I've always wanted the common people to believe that one's own strength can change everything.
When China's leaders talk about reform, they mean go slowly and change a little bit as you go. The precondition is that you definitely want to change, but you don't want to change too fast, or too thoroughly. [Laughs] Step by step, going slowly. But if you don't actively reform, you will passively get reformed.
The central government definitely knew I was illegally detained at home. As for how the local authorities invented lies to frame me to put me in prison, as for how they persecuted my entire family, [the central government] didn't necessarily know about the details. Yet now, six months later, I still haven't seen the central government follow the country's laws and keep its promise and investigate and deal with those officials who recklessly and illegally committed crimes.
If ordinary Chinese people heard about what happened to me, I don't think they would be able to believe the level of cruelty. The shamelessness of the powers that be would exceed their imagination. Just like they don't know they have a lot of strength to change the future of their country.
If I met Xi Jinping, I would very clearly tell him that any "powers that be" that don't follow the will of the people and depend instead on oppressing the common people and suppressing the will of the people to protect their rule absolutely cannot last for long. The Communist Party is no exception.
Throughout Chinese history, has any emperor said they want to hand over power? Every emperor wants his power to last generation after generation. But can they? The Communist Party cannot monopolize all of the power in the country forever. This is a reality they must accept.
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