I am a Chinese journalist from Shanghai. I was a journalist for the state in China before I couldn’t do it anymore. I am now in hiding and risk imprisonment if caught. China is every bit as tyrannical as you think it is.

I am not in a position to verify my identity. I risk imprisonment if my friends, family, or colleagues find out. If I get caught by the government, they will send me to a forced labour camp with no trial, no legal representation, and no possibility of parole.<br><br>But I feel like I have to speak out against what is happening. I used to work as a journalist. I reported good news. The platitudes you have heard: China is a wonderful nation. Xi is our great leader. China is prospering under the guidance of the state and the party. The future is bright.<br><br>I was a good journalist. I was good at my job. My articles were very popular. I got promoted quickly. I was invited to private events. I walked hand in hand with the elite of Chinese society. I was doing well. <br><br>But then my daughter was born. I had a reason to think critically about what I was doing, in a way that I never had before. My daughter made me think about the future. When she grows up, what will it be like? Will China prosper? Or will she suffer every day? <br><br>So I started doing my own research. I read the news. I talked to my colleagues. I dug deep. And that’s when the facade fell apart. <br><br>You have no idea, outside of China, how bad it is. You can’t imagine. I had no idea. <br><br>Two million Uighers in concentration camps. Tibet is being colonised. In Hong Kong, the military are beating and killing young girls. In Shanghai, the wealthy elite live in luxury while the poor are evicted onto the streets. Everywhere, dissent is not tolerated. The government has total surveillance. They monitor your every move. One misstep and you are in big trouble.<br><br>That was the truth. So I wrote it down. I wrote an article. I hid it on my computer, encrypted it, and left it there. I didn’t know what to do with it. I was planning on using it to defect. To get out of China. When my daughter was a bit older, we would leave, and I would publish it overseas. But I never got the chance. <br><br>My colleague found it. They reported it to the state. The next day I was told not to come to work again. To stay at home for my own safety. I understood the hint. The government was coming for me. I had to run. <br><br>That was three years ago. I am still in Shanghai. I am still hiding. I am still being pursued. I am in danger every single day. In you were Chinese, you would be in danger too.<br><br>The reason I am telling you this is that I want you to know. I want you to know how bad China really is. The government is a mafia. They bully and extort and threaten and intimidate. They have total control. We live in fear. <br><br>The only reason I feel comfortable saying this is because I am on Reddit. I am not on WeChat. I am not on Weibo. This account was set up yesterday. It is my only way of speaking. I have no other voice. I have no freedom of speech.<br><br>That’s why it’s so important to me that you know. Because if you know, you can do something. When you hear someone say that China is a force for good in the world, you can tell them the truth. When you see someone saying that China is only misunderstood by the West, you can correct them. <br><br>China isn’t a force for good in the world. China isn’t misunderstood. In fact, it is exactly as you think it is. It is what you read about in the news. In some ways, it is even worse.<br><br>But please, spread the truth about China. The government doesn’t care about the future of our country. They don’t even care about us. <br><br>I am worried about my daughter’s future every single day. When she grows up, will China be prosperous? Or will she suffer every day? The latter is the most likely. And I have to live with that fear every day.<br><br>I am just a journalist from Shanghai. My family are in danger. We are all in danger. I am just asking you, please, spread the truth.