Zhou Fengsuo
Zhou Fengsuo | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 5, 1967 Xi'an, Shaanxi, China |
| Occupation(s) | Investor, human rights advocate, former student leader |
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Known for | Leadership in 1989 Tiananmen Square protests; president of Humanitarian China; co-founder of China Human Rights Accountability Center |
Zhou Fengsuo (; born October 5, 1967) is a Chinese investor, human rights advocate, and former student leader during the 1989 Tiananmen Square demonstrations. He was ranked fifth on the Chinese government's most wanted list and subsequently forced into exile in the United States because of his involvement in the student movement. Zhou holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and has built a career in finance. Presently, he is the president of Humanitarian China and a co-founder of the China Human Rights Accountability Center.
Early life and education
Originally from Xi'an, Shaanxi, China, Zhou began his studies in physics at Tsinghua University in 1985. In 1989, he was chosen as leader of the Beijing Students' Autonomous Federation and took an active role in the pro-democracy demonstrations at Tiananmen Square. After being detained and serving a one-year sentence, Zhou departed China for the United States in 1995. There, he pursued studies in analytic finance and accounting before earning his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business in 1998.
1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre
While at university, Zhou championed democratic reforms by facilitating direct election processes within the students' union, founding student organizations, advocating for press freedom among student publications, and establishing The Voice of Students () radio station in 1989. He not only organized but also took part in the protests and assisted with medical support during the hunger strike.
Following the crackdown on June 4, 1989, Zhou was placed fifth on the government’s wanted list and apprehended at his residence in Xi'an. Reports indicate his sister and her spouse may have informed authorities about his whereabouts. He was incarcerated at Qincheng for one year before international advocacy led to his release in 1990.
Post-Tiananmen Square
After his release, Zhou was subjected to internal exile in Yangyuan, Hebei province for a year. His participation in the protests caused prolonged legal obstacles that delayed his ability to obtain a passport for several years. Throughout this period, Zhou endured ongoing police surveillance and harassment while facing difficulties supporting himself financially.
Immigration to the United States
In 1995, Zhou relocated to the United States with no legal means to return to China. He graduated with honors from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business with an MBA in 1998. In 2003, he embraced Christianity and has since worked professionally within finance. In 2007, he co-established Humanitarian China, an organization dedicated to promoting rule of law and civil society development in China while raising funds for political prisoners.
Zhou’s finance career includes working as an options currency trader at Bear Stearns from 1998 to 2001, where he introduced currency-linked notes, managed proprietary options trading portfolios, and created hedging strategies tailored for corporate clients and high-net-worth individuals. Subsequently, he held the position of Director of Portfolio Oversight at AXA Rosenberg Investment Management between 2001 and 2017.
Activism
In September 2000, Zhou acted as lead plaintiff in a U.S. lawsuit filed by victims of the Tiananmen Massacre against former Premier Li Peng for crimes against humanity committed during 1989. This case marked one of the initial legal efforts targeting officials from the Chinese Communist Party.
In an interview with the South China Morning Post, Zhou highlighted that fundamental issues from 1989—such as endemic government corruption—remain unresolved today. He observed increasing public demand within China for officials to disclose their assets openly and criticized how former hardline leaders have amassed vast wealth following the crackdown. Zhou asserted that the massacre ultimately benefited only a small elite rather than serving broader public interests.
Between 2007 and 2010, Zhou served as President of the Chinese Democracy Education Foundation, advocating for democracy, freedom of expression, and human rights. Additionally, he co-founded Humanitarian China in 2007 to establish a grassroots network supporting human rights defenders and political prisoners across China.
Zhou frequently engages with university audiences across the United States to raise awareness about these issues. On April 3, 2019, he participated in a panel discussion at Wesleyan University focusing on both the May Fourth Movement and Tiananmen Protests, emphasizing their democratic aspirations beyond just violent events. In 2024, he was honored with a Gold Medal for Outstanding Contributions to Public Discourse by the College Historical Society at Trinity College Dublin, where he delivered remarks on protest movements and human rights conditions in China.
Ahead of the 32nd anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre, Zhou reflected on Hong Kong’s prohibition of commemorative vigils amid COVID-19 restrictions. He called for resilience amid Beijing’s tightening control and stressed maintaining solidarity between activists abroad and those within Hong Kong.
Discreet Return to China
Marking the 25th anniversary of the June Fourth incident, Zhou, who had become a US citizen, utilized China's 72-hour visa-free transit rule to make a brief entry into the country despite Beijing's stringent restrictions on public commemorations. While traveling around Tiananmen Square accompanied by a friend, he deliberately avoided any public demonstrations, concerned about rapid government crackdown.
Demonstrating his support, Zhou visited his acquaintance Gao Yu, a former journalist imprisoned for her reporting on the Tiananmen protests, as well as human rights attorney Pu Zhiqiang at a detention facility. Although he identified himself without difficulty, authorities later conducted a hotel room search under the guise of a narcotics investigation and questioned him before deporting him back to the United States.
He revealed that prior to this occasion, he had covertly returned to China on two separate occasions without informing his family or friends. Zhou conceded that future visits would likely face far greater obstacles.
Content Suppression by LinkedIn and Zoom
In January 2019, LinkedIn informed Zhou that his profile would be inaccessible within China due to "specific content," despite the platform's proclaimed commitment to free speech. After a public outcry, LinkedIn promptly reinstated his profile on its Chinese site.
On June 1, 2020, Zoom deactivated Zhou's paid account just one week after he organized an event addressing the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, citing adherence to local legal requirements.