A Chinese political dissident who escaped to South Korea last month aboard a small dinghy has now arrived in Canada, according to an update shared by his friend on social media this Saturday.
Dong Guangping was intercepted by the South Korean coast guard in May while navigating a 3.3-meter, or 10.8-foot, inflatable vessel near a western South Korean island. He faced detention for allegedly breaching the nation’s immigration regulations during what marked his fourth known attempt to flee China. During a court proceeding in South Korea, he had expressed his intent to travel to Canada to rejoin his wife and daughter, both of whom have already secured resettlement there.
Sheng Xue, a Chinese Canadian activist and friend to Dong, confirmed in a post on X this Saturday that he touched down in Toronto on Friday via an Air Canada flight. She noted that he enjoyed a meal of noodles with tomatoes, eggs, and shrimp upon his arrival, adding that she has dedicated over a decade to assisting his departure from China. She also shared photographs of Dong in a vehicle and another capturing him eating.
Previously a police officer in China, Dong has faced multiple periods of detention due to his advocacy work. According to records from Amnesty International, he was dismissed from his role in 1999 for co-signing a letter that marked the 10th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. In 2001, he served a three-year prison sentence for “inciting subversion of state power,” and he spent more than eight months in custody after a 2014 arrest related to attending a memorial for victims of the same crackdown.
His history of seeking safety includes failed attempts to escape through Thailand and Vietnam, where he was ultimately deported back to China by local authorities. He also previously attempted, without success, to swim to a Taiwanese island. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has not provided an immediate comment on the situation.
