Chen Qiushi
来自China Digital Space
Chén Qiūshí | 陈秋实
Chen Qiushi (b. 1985) is a Chinese lawyer, activist and citizen journalist. He disappeared from the public in February 2020, after he went to Wuhan to report from the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic. As of September 2020, Chen is reportedly staying with his parents under state surveillance.
Chen was born in Heilongjiang Province in northeastern China. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in law at Heilongjiang University in 2007. After graduation, he moved to Beijing and worked odd jobs. In 2014, he gained national fame as the runner up on “I Am Speaker” [sic] (Wǒ shì yǎnshuōjiā 我是演说家), a reality TV show produced by Beijing TV. Chen joined the Longan Law Firm as an attorney in 2015.
Chen is known for his social activism and civic engagement. In August 2019, he went to Hong Kong to report on the pro-democracy movement. Subsequently, his social media accounts, including Weibo, Douyin and WeChat public account, were banned. He left his law firm at the end of 2019.
After the COVID-19 outbreak in early 2020, Chen Qiushi went to Wuhan to report on the pandemic. He was taken away by the authorities on February 7 and has not been seen in public ever since. In September 2020, the media reported that Chen is alive and staying with his parents in Qingdao, Shandong Province, under surveillance.
