By Charles, Vision Times contributor
Dear young friends,
I am an ordinary middle-school student receiving my education in China. As I write this letter, I am studying quietly in a classroom; outside the window, the sunlight is bright. In the previous class, the teacher on the podium was lecturing on “patriotic education.” Everything appeared normal. Yet inside me there was an indescribable feeling, like a stone lodged in my throat that I could neither spit out nor swallow.
Because I know the world we live in is not as “great, glorious, and correct” as the textbooks claim. There are simply too many things we are not allowed to ask or say. And yet young people — who should be the group most inclined to question and to think boldly — are gradually being taught to remain silent.
So I’d like to ask: Why are we not allowed to ask questions? Why can we not discuss June Fourth in class? Why, when I mention “1989,” do my classmates either look blank or quietly urge me, “Don’t talk about it”? Why are we allowed to learn about the “May Fourth Movement,” but forbidden to discuss the “Tiananmen Incident”? Why does the internet suddenly go into “maintenance” every June 4?
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RELATED: An Award-Winning Open Letter to Journalists Still in China
We are told to love our country, but shouldn’t a country first tell its people the truth? How can a nation that conceals truth be worthy of genuine love?
I. What kind of ‘reality’ do we live in?
China’s reality is not as simple as the textbooks portray. What we see is a society that appears prosperous and stable — skyscrapers everywhere, advanced technology, a highly developed internet. But behind this façade lies the intersection of power and intrigue, the manipulation of speech, and the hardening of thought.
Our Weibo feeds, Zhihu posts, private chats, even classrooms and dinner tables are filled with forbidden zones. We are allowed to speak only of “positive energy,” only to “obey.” We are not permitted to question or protest. Once you begin to question the system or ask “where is the truth,” you are labeled a “reactionary” and even treated as an enemy.
At the root of all this is China’s enduring authoritarian system—one that rejects democracy and resists oversight. The price it pays for “stability” is the suppression of freedom; the way it maintains “unity” is by erasing difference; the cost of its “prosperity” is the concealment of truth. A nation that cannot face its own history and does not allow its people to speak freely will ultimately stagnate—or even collapse.
II. The difference between democracy and authoritarianism
Democracy means:
- A system that represents your voice
- Mechanisms to check power, rather than allowing power to run unchecked
- Freedom to express differing views, not just praise
- Accountability, rather than “leaders are always right”
Authoritarianism means:
- Silence is your only option
- Those in power dominate with impunity
- You must praise leaders and government, with no dissent allowed
- No opportunity to speak—leadership above all
Democracy is not perfect, but it has mechanisms for self-correction. Authoritarianism does not even allow the possibility of correction.
III. Youth should lead the charge
Dear young friends, we are at the stage of life when we should question and think most deeply. If even we dare not speak the truth, who will change this country?
You may say, “I am just an ordinary student — what can I do?” But history shows that great transformations often begin with small individuals. The Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia, Taiwan’s lifting of martial law, South Korea’s democratization — these movements were ignited by students, youth, and intellectuals. We may not be able to change the entire system overnight, but we can at least refuse to lie, refuse to be silent, and refuse blind obedience.
- We can persist in rational expression online, even if posts are deleted.
- We can challenge absurdity in everyday conversations, even if it’s only a small debate.
- We can uphold professional ethics in our future careers and refuse to be accomplices.
- We can participate in non-violent collective expression — petitions, initiatives, campus discussions.
- We can go abroad, then return with a clearer understanding of what this country truly needs.
Change is never a one-night miracle. But every soul that “refuses to submit to lies” is a seed of transformation. When millions of us stop being silent, authoritarianism will begin to shake.
IV. A democratic China requires our participation
Democracy is not empty idealism; it is a practical system with real benefits.
- When China completes democratic transformation, young people will no longer need to “scale the firewall” to access real information.
- When China moves toward rule of law and constitutional governance, even an ordinary student can defend their rights by law.
- When freedom of speech is realized, we can openly discuss national affairs without fear.
- When media become truly independent, truth will no longer be buried and injustices can be redressed.
- When elections exist, we can express our will with ballots rather than whispers.
More importantly, with democracy, our efforts will no longer be merely “for survival,” but for truly “being a human being.”
Conclusion
The state often urges us to “listen to the Party and follow the Party.” But we are living people, not machines. We should possess independent consciousness, not be domesticated. Loving one’s country does not mean loving a party.
Youth should be the most idealistic and courageous group in society. We should not be trained as “qualified successors,” but become light that pierces the darkness.
As Lu Xun once said: “A true warrior dares to face the bleakness of life and to confront the dripping blood.”
I do not expect this letter to change reality overnight. But if you have read it and felt even a slight tremor, then it was not written in vain. I write this not because I am braver than you, but because I can no longer pretend that everything is “normal.” I am afraid, I worry about the future, and I know I may be insignificant.
But as To Kill a Mockingbird puts it: “Courage is when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.”
So I choose to write — if only to make one more person think.
- Please do not get used to darkness.
- Please do not mock ideals.
- Please do not become the kind of adult you once despised.
Even in an age of silence, learn to say firmly: “No.” If you do not speak for freedom today, who will speak for you tomorrow? May we one day speak freely under the sunlight. In tribute to every young person who refuses to remain silent:
— You and I are both seeds
Editorial note: This article won first prize in the 2025 “Letters to All Walks of Life” open-letter essay competition organized by China Action.
