Chai Ling

Chai Ling is a Chinese-American psychologist and a prominent political figure. She is best known for her leadership during the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests in Beijing, China. These protests were massive demonstrations led by students seeking political changes. Beyond her history as a student activist, she is also a business leader and a human rights advocate. Her life spans roles as a university student, a revolutionary leader, an exile, and a corporate executive. She has used her platform to address human rights issues in China on a global scale.

Chai Ling was born on April 15, 1966, in Rizhao, Shandong. Her parents were both doctors in the People's Liberation Army during the 1950s. In 1983, she began her studies at Peking University. She eventually earned a B.A. in psychology there. During her time at the university, she met Feng Congde in January 1987. Feng had been arrested for participating in a democracy demonstration. The two married in the spring of 1988, though they had to change their identification to meet legal age requirements. Chai also pursued graduate studies at the Child Psychology Institute of Beijing Normal University.

Her role in the 1989 protests grew through specific actions and organizational shifts. She initially served as a secretary for the Peking University Preparatory Committee. Her influence increased significantly when she participated in a student hunger strike. On May 12, 1989, a student named Wang Dan informed her he would join the strike. At that time, only forty members were participating. Chai delivered a speech that evening to gain support for the movement. This helped her secure endorsements from the Beijing Students' Autonomous Federation. By May 15, she was elected as the commander in chief of the Hunger Strike Committee.

The protests were marked by intense internal conflicts and debates over strategy. Chai often disagreed with intellectuals who urged "calm rationality" during student dialogues. On May 15, she interrupted a discussion to broadcast a hunger strike declaration. This action galvanized students against the intellectuals, causing them to withdraw from the square. On May 23, students voted to transfer leadership to the Defend Tiananmen Square Headquarters. This new organization selected Chai Ling as its leader. She faced criticism from others, including her husband Feng Congde, regarding decisions like the end of the hunger strike and the timing of an evacuation.

Chai Ling's leadership was also characterized by her desire for a pure student movement. She resisted the involvement of non-student protesters and government reformers. She was highly critical of the Beijing Students' Autonomous Union, citing a lack of leadership quality. In late May, she wrote an essay expressing her refusal to compromise with other student factions. She also criticized intellectuals for using the movement to rebuild their own images. Some observers noted her willingness to allow the movement to end in violent confrontation. She once suggested that bloodshed might be necessary to awaken the Chinese people. Chai later claimed these remarks were taken out of context or selectively edited.

The protests ended with a violent government crackdown on the night of June 3, 1989. Chai and Feng escaped Beijing by train and spent ten months in hiding. During this time, Chai recorded a speech at Wuhan University describing a massacre in the square. She stated she witnessed at least twenty students and workers being killed. However, declassified US embassy cables published via Wikileaks later contradicted this specific account. The cables suggested students were allowed to leave the square peacefully when soldiers arrived. Other leaders, such as Wu'er Kaixi and Li Lu, reported different experiences regarding the scale of the violence.

Following the crackdown, Chai Ling was placed fourth on a list of twenty-one student demonstrators facing arrest. She was eventually smuggled out of mainland China to Hong Kong through Operation Yellowbird. An underground rescue network then orchestrated her escape to France. Her subsequent move to the United States allowed her to continue her education. She attended Princeton University through the China Initiative Program, studying politics and international relations. She later earned an M.B.A. from Harvard University in 1998.

In her professional life in the United States, Chai Ling has achieved significant success. She worked at the consulting firm Bain & Company before marrying Robert A. Maginn Jr. in 2001. In 1998, she founded Jenzabar, an enterprise resource planning software firm for educational institutions. She has served as the company's President and Chief Operating Officer. Additionally, she founded the nonprofit organization All Girls Allowed to oppose China's one-child policy. She has also testified before the United States Congress eight times regarding human rights in China. In 2011, she published her autobiography, "A Heart for Freedom."