“The Stolen Three Years”: The Enrichment Journey of China’s Middle-Class Family

In 2019, before the pandemic, Alex was studying in Australia and found himself caught in a misconception – believing that studying abroad made him more patriotic. However, four years later, his family joined the massive wave of Chinese immigrants after the pandemic and moved to the United States, shouting for the “Communist Party to step down.” What happened during those four years that led to such a drastic change for Alex’s family?

In an interview with Epoch Times, 24-year-old Alex shared his childhood experience of being indoctrinated by the Chinese Communist Party. He and his classmates participated in anti-Japanese and anti-American propaganda activities at school influenced by the CCP’s education system and media.

However, a significant event during Alex’s junior high school years, where the CCP revised the textbooks, made him start questioning the Party’s indoctrination. The changes in descriptions of the Cultural Revolution from “a decade of catastrophe” to “a decade of exploration” made him realize the manipulation of historical facts by the Party.

This incident had a profound impact on Alex, leading him to doubt the Party’s teachings and eventually awakening to the truth. He began to challenge the narratives he had been fed, especially after studying critical thinking during an English writing class in Australia.

Returning to China at the end of 2019, Alex encountered the outbreak of the Wuhan virus, which resulted in strict lockdown measures. The subsequent three years felt like a stolen period for many young people like Alex, as they were unable to live their lives fully due to the stringent control measures.

The pandemic and its impact further exposed the true face of the CCP’s authoritarian regime for Alex. He criticized the Party’s policies, such as the health codes used for surveillance and control, which restricted basic freedoms and subjected individuals to harsh penalties for non-compliance.

Amidst the tightening control and the diminishing prospects for a better future in China, Alex and his family decided to flee the country and seek refuge in the United States. The final straw was a personal experience of persecution faced by his father at the hands of corrupt officials within the CCP.

Since arriving in the US, Alex has found a sense of relief and freedom that was lacking in China. He highlighted the stark differences in governance and societal freedoms between the two countries, emphasizing the lack of accountability and service in the Chinese system compared to the rule of law in the US.

Alex firmly believes that under the CCP’s rule, China is not conducive to human survival and flourishing, leading him to advise others to flee if possible. He hopes for the downfall of the Communist Party to restore freedom of speech and creativity to the Chinese people in their pursuit of a more hopeful future.