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Yu Jie

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Yu Jie
Born (1973-10-03) October 3, 1973 (age 51)
Chengdu, Sichuan
OccupationNovelist, critic, essayist
Period1998–present
Notable worksFire and Ice (1999)
China's Best Actor: Wen Jiabao (2010)
Notable awardsCivil Courage Prize (2012)
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese余杰
Simplified Chinese余杰
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinYú Jĭe
In this Chinese name, the family name is Yu.

Yu Jie (Chinese: 余杰), is a Chinese-American writer and Calvinist democracy activist. The bestselling author of more than 30 books, Yu was described by the New York Review of Books in 2012 as "one of China's most prominent essayists and critics".[1]

Yu Jie is also active in the Chinese dissident movement, and was arrested and allegedly tortured in 2010 for his friendship with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo and a critical biography of Prime Minister Wen Jiabao titled China's Best Actor. Following more than a year of house arrest, Yu emigrated to the US with his family in January 2012. Later that year, he was awarded the Civil Courage Prize of the Train Foundation. More recently, he has become among the most outspoken Chinese-dissident supporters of Donald Trump's policies towards China.[2] Upon Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death in 2020, Yu says he "laughed to the heavens" to celebrate the death of "America's most evil enemy."[3]

Early writing career

Originally from Chengdu, Yu attended Peking University and majored in modern Chinese literature.[4]

His first book, Fire and Ice, included extensive political and social criticism. Upon its 1999 publication, Yu became a "literary sensation". In the same year, he met and befriended democracy activist Liu Xiaobo, and became active in the Chinese dissident movement. As part of his work with Liu, he read and commented on drafts of the democracy manifesto Charter 08[4] and helped found the Independent PEN Center.[5]

Yu became a bestselling author in China[6] and as of 2012, had written more than 30 books.[1] However, his criticisms of the government eventually caused his works to be banned in mainland China.[6]

In 2004, Yu published the piece "Apologies to Tibet" (向西藏懺悔) on boxun.com, which expressed regret for China's rule of Tibet and praised the efforts of Palden Gyatso, a pro-independence monk.[7] His piece was criticized by Chinese netizens and he was heckled by overseas students in Los Angeles for attacking "national unity", but he dismissed these critics as angry brainwashed youth. Yu Jie also promotes reconciliation with Japan, the US invasion of Iraq, and religious freedom in China for Christians, after converting to Christianity himself.[8]

2010 arrest

Yu was detained by security officials in July 2010 to discuss his upcoming book China's Best Actor: Wen Jiabao, "a scathing critique" of China's prime minister that Yu intended to publish in Hong Kong.[6][9] The book argued that Wen's warm, empathic public persona was simply a facade, and that he shared the same goals of other Chinese leaders.[10] According to Yu, one official stated that his book was "harming state security and the national interest", and if it were published, Yu would probably be imprisoned "for many years".[6] Yu nonetheless proceeded with publication of the book in August.[10]

On October 8, 2010, Yu's good friend Liu Xiaobo was named the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. On October 13, Yu was placed under house arrest, allegedly for his plans to write a biography of Liu as well as for having proceeded with the publication of China's Best Actor.[9] He later wrote that during this period, "I was tortured by the country’s secret police and nearly lost my life".[11] According to Yu, he was stripped naked, burned with cigarettes, and beaten until he was hospitalized.[12]

His house arrest, and a concomitant travel ban, lasted until January 2012, at which point he and his family emigrated to the US.[9] Following his emigration, he submitted a nine-page report detailing his alleged torture to the US State Department and the United Nations Human Rights Council. He stated that he was continuing to write Liu's biography, and was also at work on a new biography of Chinese president Hu Jintao titled "Hu Jintao: Cold-Blooded Tyrant".[12]

Personal life

Yu has a wife, Liu Min, and one son, Yu Guangyi.[4] He converted to Christianity in 2003,[4] and in China was a member of a house church.[11]

Awards and honors

In 2012, Yu was named the winner of the 2012 Civil Courage Prize of the US-based Train Foundation.[13] The prize recognizes "steadfast resistance to evil at great personal risk — rather than military valor."[14] The prize comes with a $50,000 honorarium. He was the first Chinese person to win the award, and he stated that he hoped the prize would encourage China's dissidents.[13]

Main works

  • Yu, Jie. Governance with Common Sense: Right-wing Trump’s Ruling Wisdom (用常識治國：右派商人川普的當國智慧 yong changshi zhiguo: youpai shangren chuanpu de dangguo zhihui) Taipei: Baqi wenhua, 2020.[15]
  • Yu Jie (2017). Steel Gate to Freedom: The Life of Liu Xiaobo. ISBN 9780810896369.
  • Fire and Ice (1998), Economy Daily Press, China.
  • Screams within Iron House (1998), Chinese Industry & Commerce Syndicate Press.
  • Fire and Ice (1999), (Hong Kong edition), Cosmos Books.[16]
  • To Say, or not to Say (1999), Culture and Art Publishing House.[17]
  • Awkward Times (1999), YueLu Publishing House.[18]
  • Civilization Pain (1999), (Self Anthology), Bai Hua Publishing House.[19]
  • Fly the Wings (2000), China Film Publishing House.
  • The Road of Wandering Hero - The Mind History of the Transformation Intellectuals in our times (2009), Taiwan Linking Publishing Co.
  • China's Best Actor: Wen Jiabao (2010), New Century Publishing Co.[20]

References

  1. ^ a b Ian Johnson (July 14, 2012). "China's 'Fault Lines': Yu Jie on His New Biography of Liu Xiaobo". The New York Review of Books. Archived from the original on September 10, 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
  2. ^ "禁书解读 | 余杰：川普改变了美国也改变了世界-川普《让美国再度伟大》". Radio Free Asia (in Chinese (China)). Retrieved February 22, 2020.
  3. ^ 余, 杰. "論金斯伯格的死掉：在我的敵人面前，你為我擺設筵席". 新世纪（New Century Net）. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d Edward Wong (February 25, 2012). "From Virginia Suburb, a Dissident Chinese Writer Continues His Mission". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 10, 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
  5. ^ "China threatens dissident writer Yu Jie with prison". BBC News. July 6, 2010. Archived from the original on September 10, 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
  6. ^ a b c d Michael Wines (July 6, 2010). "China Seeks to Halt Book That Faults Its Prime Minister". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 10, 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
  7. ^ Yu, Jie (June 25, 2004). 向西藏懺悔.
  8. ^ Yu, Jie (2008). "Reign of Terror on the Tibetan Plateau". China Perspectives (1): 104–108.
  9. ^ a b c Edward Wong (January 18, 2012). "China: Dissident Author Flees to U.S." The New York Times. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
  10. ^ a b "Book critical of Chinese PM Wen Jiabao goes on sale". BBC News. August 16, 2010. Archived from the original on September 10, 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
  11. ^ a b Yu Jie (February 13, 2012). "The myth of China as a harmless tiger". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on September 10, 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
  12. ^ a b William Wan (January 18, 2012). "Chinese dissident details alleged torture". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on September 10, 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
  13. ^ a b Hsiao Boa-hsiang and Sofia Wu (July 17, 2012). "Chinese dissident writer wins Civil Courage Prize". FocusTaiwan. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved August 11, 2012.
  14. ^ "Civil Courage Prize". Civil Courage Prize. 2012. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved August 10, 2012.
  15. ^ "用常識治國：右派商人川普的當國智慧". 博客來. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
  16. ^ "Fire and Ice (Chinese: 火与冰)"[1], 2010. (in Chinese)
  17. ^ "To say, or Not To say (Chinese: 说，还是不说"[2], 2010. (in Chinese)
  18. ^ "Awkward Times (Chinese: 尴尬时代)"[3], 2010. (in Chinese)
  19. ^ "Civilization Pain (Chinese: 文明的创痛)"[4], 2010. (in Chinese)
  20. ^ 异议作家余杰：按原计划出版新书 (in Chinese). Voice of America. July 6, 2010. Retrieved October 1, 2010.
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