Newlywed’s Marriage Treated as Political Crime in China

Qin Yongmin and Wang Xifeng are pictured at their marriage on May 13 in Wuhan. Wang’s 12-year-old son holds a sign that reads “a good marriage lasting 100 years.” (Provided by Wang Xifeng)

On May 13 the well-known dissident Qin Yongmin married Ms. Wang Xifeng in front of 70 of their family and friends in Qin’s hometown of Wuhan. It was a second marriage for both of them, and was a love match.

Wang described Qin as her “revered teacher” and “soul mate.” In a picture of their wedding, Wang’s 12-year-old son holds up a poster with the customary blessing, “a good marriage lasting 100 years.”

On Sept. 26, Qin posted an Internet message titled, “Apology For a Failed Marriage.”

“I apologize with deep grief to our friends who care about us, love us, and put a lot of hope in us for having to announce Qin Yongmin and Jianhu Heroine’s marriage failed,” Qin wrote.

Jianhu Heroine was originally the nickname for Qiu Jin, a brave heroine who devoted herself in the revolution that overthrew the Qing Dynasty in the early 20th century and sought to establish democracy in China. Praising Wang’s outstanding courage, some of Qin’s supporters started to call her Jianhu Heroine.

The 59-year-old Qin has been active in democratic movements for more than 30 years. First jailed for “counterrevolutionary propaganda” in connection with the Democracy Wall movement of 1981, he has served altogether 22 years in jail, the longest among all the dissidents in China. He is thus called the “jail king.”

Qin was editor of the China Human Rights Observer newsletter and was one of several who attempted to register the China Democracy Party in 1998, for which he served 12 years in jail. Since being released in 2010, Qin’s political rights are still suspended.

Wang Xifeng graduated from Shanxi Normal University in 1998 and has been Qin’s political supporter.

Their marriage came under attack at the very beginning. According to Internet reports, hundreds of their friends were prevented from attending their wedding, and the police made several arrests among those who were there.

Officials refused to recognize their marriage as legitimate. Because of obstruction by officials in Wang’s hometown in Hunyuan County, in north central China’s Shanxi Province, Wang Xifeng couldn’t get the documents needed for their marriage registration.

Because of the missing marriage certificate, police forced Wang to have an abortion.

Back in Wuhan, the Wuhan National Security team often came to their house to harass them, using the charge of “illegal cohabitation” as an excuse. Because of the missing marriage certificate, police forced Wang to have an abortion.

On Sept. 12, Wang went back alone to her hometown to get the documents she needed.

Qin told Voice of America by phone on Sept. 27 that the regime used spiritual torment to force Wang Xifeng to make the painful decision to separate from him.

The local National Security Team made her family members threaten to cut off all connections with her, if she ever went back to Wuhan.

“The hatred in her son’s eyes finally got her,” Qin said. “Her son even threatened to kill himself if Wang went back to Wuhan.”

“It’s hard for me,” Qin said. “She and I have to suspend the marriage. This afternoon she was talking to me for three hours while crying. She is tormented having to choose between her son and me.”

The government won’t allow Wang to have any chance at a job, unless she is separated from Qin, he said.

Qin hung up the phone after talking for three minutes to the reporter. He said it’s the most sensitive time for him, and so he couldn’t talk much.

VOA called Wang Xifeng’s phone, and got the voice message “the user has already turned off the phone.”

Translated from Voice of America, and edited by The Epoch Times.

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