An Open Letter Challenging Xi Jinping’s Authority Appears on University Forums Across China
The Chinese Communist Party’s Fifth Plenum opened behind closed doors in Beijing today, with “strict Party governance” as a major agenda item.
Meanwhile, an open letter reportedly signed by undergraduate and graduate students from more than a dozen leading Chinese universities, including Peking University, appeared on campus online forums at Peking University and other institutions.
The letter calls for an end to the removal of presidential term limits in China, directly challenging Xi Jinping’s authority.
Most of the posts were deleted almost immediately. However, screenshots were subsequently uploaded to an underground online platform known as the “Freedom Forum” on the dark web. Students in China and overseas then circulated the screenshots on social media platforms outside China, drawing public attention.
The full text of the statement, titled “A Joint Appeal from a Group of University Students of the Republic,” is translated below.
“When That Time Comes, I Shall Resign as Provisional President”
Commemorating the 160th Anniversary of Sun Yat-sen’s Birth: An Earnest Appeal to Restore Term Limits for National Leaders and Fulfill the Spirit of the Democratic Revolution
To the Esteemed Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, and All Members of the 20th Central Committee’s Fifth Plenum:
We are undergraduate and graduate students currently enrolled at several universities.
With only a few weeks remaining until the 160th anniversary of Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s birth on November 12, and with the Fifth Plenum of the 20th Central Committee about to convene, we write with both reverence and apprehension.
As citizens of the Republic, and inspired by Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s unfulfilled aspirations, we respectfully offer these humble thoughts and sincerely ask that you hear us out.
We grew up reading about Dr. Sun Yat-sen. Our textbooks taught us that he was the “great pioneer of China’s democratic revolution.”
On January 1, 1912, he assumed office as provisional president, solemnly declaring that once the autocratic government had been overthrown, “When that time comes, I shall resign as provisional president.”
Less than two months later, after the Qing emperor abdicated, Sun submitted his resignation to the Senate and relinquished power to another.
The Provisional Constitution promulgated that same year explicitly stated:
“The sovereignty of the Republic of China belongs to the whole body of its citizens.”
In 1923, Sun wrote in the Manifesto of the Kuomintang of China that previous revolutions, once successful, had merely replaced one autocrat with another, rather than standing with the people. He emphasized that the revolution of his time must stand on the side of the people.
In his later years, when he traveled north, Sun also advocated convening a national assembly to deliberate on the affairs of the nation.
As the ancient Chinese text Lüshi Chunqiu (The Annals of Lü Buwei), in its chapter “Gui Gong,” declares:
“The world does not belong to any one person; it belongs to all under heaven.”
Dr. Sun repeatedly wrote the four characters “天下为公” — “All Under Heaven Belongs to the People” — as gifts to others. It was precisely this tradition that he sought to uphold.
In 1945, during a conversation in Yan’an, Mr. Huang Yanpei asked Comrade Mao Zedong whether the Chinese Communist Party could escape the historical cycle in which political regimes rise rapidly and then collapse just as suddenly.
Comrade Mao replied:
“We have found a new path, and that path is democracy. Only when the people supervise the government will the government not dare to become complacent. Only when everyone assumes responsibility can we prevent a regime from collapsing when its leader is gone.”
In 1980, Comrade Deng Xiaoping, reflecting on historical lessons in his speech On the Reform of the System of Party and State Leadership, observed:
“If systems are sound, they can prevent bad people from running amok. If systems are unsound, they can prevent good people from fully doing good things.”
Subsequently, the 1982 Constitution established a provision limiting consecutive terms in certain state leadership positions to no more than two.
These were all statements made by the Party itself.
Yet we have observed with confusion and unease that the 2018 constitutional amendment removed the provision limiting the president and vice president to two consecutive terms.
We fully understand that a country needs stability and that development requires continuity.
But stability should come from the predictability of institutions, not dependence on any single individual.
The Party Central Committee has stated that there are “two answers” to escaping the historical cycle of the rise and fall of political regimes: the first is supervision by the people, and the second is self-revolution.
This Plenum will examine the important issue of “persistently advancing comprehensive and strict Party governance.”
We believe that the other side of self-revolution is ensuring that political power has time limits and remains subject to oversight.
Article 41 of the Constitution grants citizens the right to criticize and make suggestions.
Our appeal today is both an exercise of this constitutional right and an expression of our most sincere love for this country.
We therefore earnestly put forward three appeals:
1. End unlimited presidential terms and restore constitutional term limits.
Restore explicit constitutional limits on presidential terms to ensure the orderly transfer of power through constitutional safeguards.
Clear term-limit rules should also be established for the Party’s highest leadership positions.
2. Initiate democratic constitutional reform and convene a national constitutional convention.
Gradually and prudently expand the people’s meaningful participation in the exercise of public power.
Improve mechanisms for elections, oversight, and the recall of public officials.
Step by step, fulfill the unfinished aspiration of the 1911 Revolution: returning political power to the people.
3. Protect citizens’ right to discuss national affairs in accordance with the law.
Allow the young people of the Republic to speak the truth without fear.
Let criticism be heard and treated as constructive advice offered in good faith.
We have no intention of engaging in confrontation, nor do we wish to create division.
We are simply a group of young people who grew up studying Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s teachings.
With his words in our hearts — “The revolution has not yet succeeded; comrades must continue to strive” — we wish to fulfill our responsibilities as students and scholars toward the long-term future of this country.
If any of our words are inappropriate, we humbly ask for your understanding.
Should our appeal receive your consideration, we would be deeply grateful.
Respectfully submitted.
Source: https://x.com/jenniferzeng97/status/2114838853030965737
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