Morrison Li, a Taiwanese citizen who was previously jailed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), has suggested that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump use tariffs as a tool to pressure the CCP into addressing human rights issues in China. Li, a graduate of Long Island University with a master’s degree in business administration, believes that economic measures could potentially lead to the release of democracy and human rights activists detained by the CCP.
Li’s story is well-known within overseas Chinese communities. In August 2019, he traveled from Hong Kong to mainland China and went missing in Shenzhen. After inquiries by Taiwan’s Straits Exchange Foundation, it was revealed that Li had been arrested on charges of engaging in “spy” activities. He was working for a Taiwanese tech company during his visit to Shenzhen, coinciding with the peak of Hong Kong’s anti-extradition protests.
Photos taken by Li of armed police at the Shenzhen-Hong Kong border were discovered during a border inspection as he attempted to leave China, leading to his arrest. He was subsequently convicted and sentenced to prison, with an additional suspension of political rights. Li was eventually allowed to leave China in July 2023.
During his time in detention, Li became more involved in civil rights movements and even met prominent human rights lawyer Yu Wensheng. Yu and his wife were detained by police in April 2023 and later sentenced to prison on charges of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble.” The International Service for Human Rights later issued a statement calling for the release of Yu and his wife, co-signed by 30 human rights organizations.
In November 2024, Li delivered a lecture at National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan, discussing civil movements and human rights development in Greater China. He highlighted the challenges faced by civil society in China and Hong Kong, emphasizing the CCP’s intolerance towards strong civil societies. Li also warned against believing in the CCP’s “one country, two systems” framework, citing Hong Kong as an example of how democracy can be undermined by authoritarianism. Can you please rewrite this sentence?
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