A recent citizen initiative calling for a nationwide review of China’s organ transplant system has drawn attention from human rights advocates while sparking concerns about possible retaliation from Chinese authorities. Human rights lawyer You Feizhu, who previously worked on the Hu Xinyu case, said the petition highlights growing public concern over transparency in China’s controversial organ transplant industry.
Hu Xinyu was a 15-year-old student in China’s Jiangxi Province who went missing from his boarding school on Oct. 14, 2022. Though Hu’s disappearance triggered a nationwide search and intense public scrutiny, his body was found in a storage area near the campus on Jan. 28, 2023. Authorities ruled the death a “suicide linked to depression” and cited audio recordings as evidence, but the case quickly fueled widespread public skepticism surrounding China’s organ harvesting practices, with some netizens suggesting Hu may have been targeted and killed for his organs.
Organs ‘on demand’
Earlier this month, Gao Fei, a Guangzhou resident originally from Qichun County in Hubei Province, mailed an open proposal titled: “Safeguarding the Bottom Line of Life: An Urgent Proposal to Conduct a Comprehensive Review and Suspend Non-Relative Organ Transplants” to five central government bodies. These included the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, the State Council, the National Supervisory Commission, the Ministry of Public Security, and the National Health Commission.
The proposal urges authorities to launch a nationwide review of organ transplant practices, suspend all non-relative organ transplants, and establish a transparent verification mechanism for organ sources. Gao also launched a public signature campaign that has already received nearly 500 supporters. He emphasized the goal of the initiative in the proposal: “Let every life be placed under the sunlight.”
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However, shortly after sending the proposal, Gao reportedly began facing pressure. According to reports, police from Guangzhou’s Baiyun District contacted him by phone, while his social media accounts experienced traffic restrictions. Officials from his hometown village committee also reportedly informed him that local authorities might travel to Guangzhou to speak with him. Gao publicly responded to the pressure, declaring: “Apart from my life, I have nothing to lose. Come if you must.”
Exercising constitutional rights
In an exclusive interview with Vision Times, exiled Chinese human rights lawyer You Feizhu said Gao’s actions represent a legitimate exercise of civic rights. “Gao Fei’s act of sending the proposal to five ministries is a legal practice of the citizen’s right to make suggestions granted by the Constitution,” You said. “It fully demonstrates the awakening civic awareness and political courage of an ordinary citizen.”
You noted that in China’s current political environment, Gao’s initiative carries broader significance. “This action is not only a direct legal challenge to the opaque operations surrounding organ transplantation,” he said. “It is also a collective awakening to the fundamental human right: The right to life.”
You explained that China’s organ transplant system has long faced scrutiny because of concerns about transparency and potential profit-driven abuses. “Gao’s proposal essentially calls for procedural justice in what has become a judicial ‘organ wilderness,’” You said. “He is courageously demanding that a legal safeguard be built to protect the life and safety of ordinary citizens.”
‘Cross-regional stability maintenance’
You Feizhu also addressed reports that authorities from Gao’s hometown may attempt to question him in Guangzhou. “This is a typical model of illegal suppression carried out under the name of jurisdiction by household registration while actually enforcing cross-provincial stability maintenance,” You said.
According to You, such tactics are often used to create psychological pressure on activists and their families. “The goal is to generate intimidation and anxiety so that citizens silence themselves out of fear,” he said. You offered practical legal advice for Gao and others who may face similar situations. “I suggest insisting on the principle of procedural legality, require officials to present proper law enforcement credentials and documents,” he said. “If conversations occur, they should be held in public places, ideally with friends, relatives, or lawyers present.”
He also recommended documenting interactions with audio or video recordings and maintaining written records. “This kind of rational, procedural resistance can protect personal safety and quietly dismantle the logic of unlawful pressure,” he said.
Upholding global standards
You emphasized that Gao’s proposal is consistent with international ethical standards for organ transplantation. He cited the World Health Organization’s “Guiding Principles on Human Cell, Tissue and Organ Transplantation,” adopted by the World Health Assembly in 2010, which emphasize voluntary consent, limits on living donations, prohibition of commercialization, and transparency.
“The proposal to suspend non-relative organ transplants and establish a transparent system fully aligns with these WHO principles,” You said. He added that long-standing concerns about organ sourcing and limited data transparency have contributed to international scrutiny of China’s transplant system.
“If the government continues to suppress or silence calls for transparency,” You warned, adding, “it will intensify the public trust crisis and risk pushing the entire medical system into a dangerous institutional gray zone.”
Decentralized advocacy
As Gao’s online platforms face restrictions, You encouraged citizens to adopt decentralized advocacy strategies. “In the current environment of information control, it is important not to concentrate all risks on a single individual,” he said.
You urged supporters to document evidence carefully, including postal receipts, official responses, recordings of phone calls, and notices from authorities. “These materials can become powerful legal evidence in the future,” he said. He also suggested leveraging fragmented social media communication and international attention to transform individual cases into broader discussions about public safety and human rights.
You Feizhu concluded that transparency and accountability are essential to protecting citizens’ fundamental rights. “Many major social injustices ultimately stem from the lack of oversight under a one-party political system,” he said. “Without supervision and without the freedom to criticize power, abuses can easily occur.”
“Only by addressing the root cause,” he added, “can we truly protect the right to life of every citizen.”
