WASHINGTON — Free China Movement today urged U.S. authorities to provide prompt public clarification concerning reports that Chinese rights advocate Li Qing was detained in Washington while heading toward a protest near the Chinese Embassy.
Li Qing, a former Hangzhou Yamaha worker and longtime petitioner from Zhejiang, has spent years publicly alleging mistreatment connected to her labor and petitioning activities in mainland China. After arriving in the United States in 2023, she became a recurring participant in Washington-area protests directed at Chinese authorities.
Verification notice: FCM has independently verified Li Qing’s identity, advocacy history and Washington protest activity. FCM has not independently confirmed the reported September 2026 arrest, the legal basis for any detention, which agency may be holding her, or reports that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has assumed or intends to assume custody. FCM is therefore attributing those assertions to supporters while seeking authoritative confirmation.
“A dissident’s case should not be decided by rumor, political pressure or opaque procedure,” Free China Movement said. “The answer is transparency and law: identify the custody status, provide access to counsel, disclose the legal basis for any detention and ensure every applicable protection against return to persecution.”
FCM calls on U.S. authorities to
Confirm whether Li Qing is in custody and identify the responsible agency; disclose the legal basis for any detention and any filed charges or immigration action; guarantee prompt access to counsel; preserve all procedural protections available under U.S. immigration and constitutional law; and ensure compliance with applicable obligations protecting individuals from return to persecution or torture.
FCM further urges public officials and advocates not to present unverified claims about the motive for the reported detention as fact. Whether the matter involves a local law-enforcement action, a federal immigration issue, a security restriction, or some other circumstance must be established from evidence.
Free China Movement will update its coverage as authoritative information becomes available.
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