I am a Chinese human rights and democracy researcher and advocate. Currently, I am a fellow at the Penn Project on the Future of U.S.-China Relations at the University of Pennsylvania. 

Previously, I was a fellow at the University of Chicago’s Forum for Free Inquiry and Expression and served as Director of China Research at Freedom House, Senior China Researcher at Human Rights Watch, and Asia Researcher at the Committee to Protect Journalists. 

A central theme of my work is examining how the Chinese Communist Party seeks to control people’s minds and behavior, and how to resist that control. Having been born and raised in China, I understand both the lived reality of repression and the innate human desire for freedom and dignity.

Over the past 15 years, I have written extensively on the Chinese government’s efforts to undermine democratic norms globally, including through censorship, disinformation, transnational repression, and the export of surveillance and AI technologies. I have also conducted in-depth research on the protection of human rights defenders, women’s rights, minority rights, and labor rights in China. 

In addition to research, I have conducted advocacy with government officials and elected representatives in the United States, the European Union and at the U.N. to promote laws and policies that address Beijing’s human rights abuses. I also work with advocacy and activist groups to build coalitions advancing freedom and democracy in China and beyond.

I have testified before the U.S. Congress multiple times, as well as before the Australian Parliament. My articles have appeared in publications such as The New York Times and The Atlantic. I am frequently quoted by major news outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio, and The Guardian, and have appeared on CNN, BBC, and other international media.