Yan Jiaqi (严家祺), (1942-), is a prominent Chinese intellectual, former political reformist, and a key figure in the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. He is also known as a Christian pastor and a prolific author. Yan's career has spanned academia, political activism, and religious leadership, with a central focus on advocating for political reform, human rights, and democratic change in China.
Born in Heilongjiang Province, Yan studied at the China University of Science and Technology before moving on to the Chinese Academy of Sciences, where he became an expert in political science. During the 1989 Tiananmen protests, Yan was a leading figure. As the Director of the Political Science Institute at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, he was deeply involved in the intellectual movement that called for political change and democracy. In the months leading up to the June 4th crackdown, Yan participated in several major events, such as a symposium organized by World Economic Herald and New Observer magazine, where he publicly expressed his support for the student protests, believing they represented the future of China.
Yan's activism culminated in May 1989, when he helped mobilize intellectuals and students in support of the hunger strike and subsequent demonstrations. On the night of May 13, Yan, along with other scholars, posted a prominent slogan on the campus of Peking University: "We Can No Longer Remain Silent", calling on intellectuals to join the protest. On May 14, he co-signed a public declaration demanding the recognition of the protests as a patriotic and democratic movement. As a prominent voice during the protest, Yan helped form the Capital Intellectuals' Alliance, which issued multiple key declarations, such as the May 16 Declaration and May 17 Manifesto, that garnered support from numerous intellectuals across the country.
After the brutal crackdown, Yan was placed on the most-wanted list by the Chinese government and, with the help of the "Yellow Sparrow Movement," fled to Hong Kong. From there, he sought asylum in France, where he became the first chairman of the Democratic China Front. In 1994, he moved to New York and became a visiting scholar at Columbia University.
Yan has written extensively on Chinese politics, democracy, and human rights. His works include The Evolutionary Theory, History and Future: A Study on Authoritarianism, Constitutionalism, and Republicanism, and The Ten Years of the Cultural Revolution (co-authored with his wife, Gao Gao). He also published The Global Wealth Theory in 2020, which introduces the concept of a global currency system.
More recently, Yan has remained a staunch advocate for revealing the truth behind the Tiananmen Square massacre. In a 2019 interview, he expressed hope that his former colleague, Wang Huning, who had played a significant role in Chinese political circles, would help restore the truth about the June 4th incident. Yan noted, "I hope he can contribute to restoring the truth about Tiananmen. June 4th was not a riot but a crime committed by the Communist Party against the people."
Yan Jiaqi’s life and work have remained focused on advocating for political change in China, promoting human rights, and calling for the restoration of historical truths that have long been suppressed. His belief in the power of truth and justice resonates in his statement: "People do not live merely to survive; they live with dignity, hope, and joy. The very least that life should offer is hope."
Today, Yan lives in Florida with his wife Gao Gao.
Born in Heilongjiang Province, Yan studied at the China University of Science and Technology before moving on to the Chinese Academy of Sciences, where he became an expert in political science. During the 1989 Tiananmen protests, Yan was a leading figure. As the Director of the Political Science Institute at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, he was deeply involved in the intellectual movement that called for political change and democracy. In the months leading up to the June 4th crackdown, Yan participated in several major events, such as a symposium organized by World Economic Herald and New Observer magazine, where he publicly expressed his support for the student protests, believing they represented the future of China.
Yan's activism culminated in May 1989, when he helped mobilize intellectuals and students in support of the hunger strike and subsequent demonstrations. On the night of May 13, Yan, along with other scholars, posted a prominent slogan on the campus of Peking University: "We Can No Longer Remain Silent", calling on intellectuals to join the protest. On May 14, he co-signed a public declaration demanding the recognition of the protests as a patriotic and democratic movement. As a prominent voice during the protest, Yan helped form the Capital Intellectuals' Alliance, which issued multiple key declarations, such as the May 16 Declaration and May 17 Manifesto, that garnered support from numerous intellectuals across the country.
After the brutal crackdown, Yan was placed on the most-wanted list by the Chinese government and, with the help of the "Yellow Sparrow Movement," fled to Hong Kong. From there, he sought asylum in France, where he became the first chairman of the Democratic China Front. In 1994, he moved to New York and became a visiting scholar at Columbia University.
Yan has written extensively on Chinese politics, democracy, and human rights. His works include The Evolutionary Theory, History and Future: A Study on Authoritarianism, Constitutionalism, and Republicanism, and The Ten Years of the Cultural Revolution (co-authored with his wife, Gao Gao). He also published The Global Wealth Theory in 2020, which introduces the concept of a global currency system.
More recently, Yan has remained a staunch advocate for revealing the truth behind the Tiananmen Square massacre. In a 2019 interview, he expressed hope that his former colleague, Wang Huning, who had played a significant role in Chinese political circles, would help restore the truth about the June 4th incident. Yan noted, "I hope he can contribute to restoring the truth about Tiananmen. June 4th was not a riot but a crime committed by the Communist Party against the people."
Yan Jiaqi’s life and work have remained focused on advocating for political change in China, promoting human rights, and calling for the restoration of historical truths that have long been suppressed. His belief in the power of truth and justice resonates in his statement: "People do not live merely to survive; they live with dignity, hope, and joy. The very least that life should offer is hope."
Today, Yan lives in Florida with his wife Gao Gao.
