Wei Jingsheng

Wei Jingsheng is a Chinese democracy activist and writer imprisoned for advocating political reform. His 1978 essay “The Fifth Modernization” argued that democracy must accompany China’s modernization.

Democracy Wall: A 1978–1979 Beijing protest movement in which people posted political writings on a public wall. Wei became one of the movement’s most prominent voices through essays posted there.
Chinese Democracy Movement: A broad movement seeking democratic political change in the People’s Republic of China. Wei’s writings became an enduring reference point for activists in this movement.
Deng Xiaoping: The Chinese leader who directed economic reforms and the Four Modernizations from the late 1970s. Wei argued that Deng’s modernization program was incomplete without democratic reform.
Mao Zedong Thought: The political ideology associated with Mao Zedong and the Chinese Communist Party under his leadership. Wei’s call for democratic rights challenged the party’s inherited ideological authority.
The Fifth Modernization: Wei Jingsheng’s 1978 essay arguing that democracy was necessary alongside China’s four modernization goals. This essay made Wei’s demand for political reform nationally known.
Political Prisoner: A person imprisoned primarily for political beliefs, activity, or opposition to a government. Wei’s repeated imprisonment made him a prominent Chinese political prisoner.
Liu Xiaobo: A Chinese literary critic and democracy activist imprisoned for political dissent and awarded the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize. Liu later became another internationally known advocate for political change in China.
Chinese Communist Party: The ruling political party of the People’s Republic of China since 1949. Wei demanded political freedoms that challenged the party’s monopoly on power.
Xidan Democracy Wall: A wall in Beijing where citizens posted political essays and protest notices in 1978 and 1979. Wei posted his political writings at this gathering place for dissent.
Human Rights in China: The protections and freedoms recognized as human rights within the People’s Republic of China. Wei’s case became a focus of international criticism over China’s restrictions on dissent.

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