Chinese Entrepreneur Activist Escapes China, Meets Many Fellow Travelers on the Way to Freedom

Chinese entrepreneur and rights activist Shen Qijia recently escaped China after reporting persecution and harassment by the communist regime and recounted to The Epoch Times his perilous journey through Eurasia and to freedom.

Late one night in early September, 65-year-old Shen dragged his exhausted body across a rugged mountain on the Croatian border.

“There were moments of despair deep in the wilderness. At one point during the climb, I fell five or six meters, injuring my lower back so severely it felt like it had snapped. I had to crawl and walk my way forward; it was pitch black and [I was] surrounded by precipices. I nearly plunged into a bottomless abyss,” he said of the harrowing trek to The Epoch Times.

“I am already 65 years old. Even if I die, I am determined to bring my soul to the free world. I do not want to spend my entire life under the Communist Party’s prison-like control.”

“There are bears, wolves, and herds of wild boars in the mountain. I got separated from my fellow travelers and had to press on all alone,” Shen posted on his account on X.

With only 200 meters (220 yards) left to reach the Croatian-Slovenian border, he was utterly exhausted and unable to stand. Having fallen repeatedly, he had injured his legs and had to crawl on his hands and knees.

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Upon entering the rest camp, Shen did not feel the anticipated relief. Instead, he felt a deep sense of sorrow.

“It was the Chinese Communist Party that drove the people to such a desperate situation, forcing them into such a wretched flight,” he said.

Shen—who uses the online alias “Jinglei”—is a rights-defending entrepreneur from Liaoning, China, who had accused Chinese Communist Party (CCP) authorities of seizing assets worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. After petitioning the government for two and a half decades, during which time he faced repeated suppression, he declared his opposition to the CCP.

Shen ultimately succeeded in fleeing China, and he made his way to Germany.

Twenty-six years ago, when he was a private entrepreneur, Shen said the CCP authorities seized assets worth 4 million yuan ($596,445). To defend his rights over the years, he resorted to petitioning higher authorities, traveling to Beijing over 300 times and being detained by CCP police for 118 days for petitioning.

“Jinglei” was also a well-known rights influencer in China. He posted statements condemning the CCP authorities on Chinese social media platforms such as Weibo, Kuaishou, and Douyin, resulting in the permanent banning of all his accounts, which commanded large followings. Police repeatedly visited his home to threaten him and banned him from public speech and posting.

On the evening of Aug. 26, upon learning that the authorities were about to arrest him, he had to leave his home within 20 minutes without being able to say goodbye to his family, Shen recounted. He traveled hundreds of kilometers at night, heading straight for the border.

Previously, when he had tried to leave China, the CCP authorities refused to issue him a passport, Shen said.

This time, to his surprise, Shen crossed the Chinese border without incident.

“It was incredibly lucky,” he said. “Once I was out of China, I had escaped to safety—finally breaking free from the prison of the Communist bandits.”

Shen continued his journey to freedom without pausing for even a moment, he said. He made his way to Bihać—a city in Bosnia and Herzegovina bordering Croatia—intending to travel on to Slovenia. It was there that his first attempt to cross the border failed.

The route Shen chose required passing through Croatia. Reaching that point involved scaling a mountain roughly 1,000 meters (0.62 miles) high with slopes of 70 to 80 degrees. Carrying dozens of kilograms of water and supplies made the climb grueling, even for young people, he said.

“It was nearly impossible to stay upright; my body suffered severe damage, and my legs were in a terrible state.”

After finally crossing the mountain, Shen and other Chinese people he met on the way who were escaping to Europe were stopped by the Croatian police on Highway 1. They were surrounded by four police officers and two police dogs.

“They released the big wolf-dogs wearing a halter, and charged at me from a long distance. The dogs knocked me down twice and injured my waist,” Shen said.

And so, Shen and his fellow travelers had no choice but to return to their starting point on the other side of the mountain.

“That first failure was a huge blow—both physically and mentally,” he said.

Undeterred, Shen scaled the mountain a second time, crossed Highway 1, and finally entered Slovenia.

Chinese Fellow Travelers 

Shen said that, along the way, he met many Chinese people fleeing China who were “fearless.” Among them were families of four or five traveling with young children, as well as fathers with their daughters, seniors nearing the age of 70, and young people, he said.

Their reasons for leaving the mainland varied: Some sought opportunities to find jobs and earn money, others wanted to secure a better future for their children, and some were forced to leave due to the CCP’s persecution, according to Shen.

In Bihać, Shen met a father and his 19-year-old daughter whose legs were covered with scratches from the underbrush. Like him, they had also failed to cross the border on their first attempt. The father was a fan of Shen’s and followed him on social media.

The daughter told Shen, “I simply don’t want to be in China. I spent so much money on my education, yet I couldn’t find a job. By going to Europe, I can put what I’ve learned to use.

“We don’t have equal opportunities in China. Unlike the children of the wealthy or high-ranking officials, we don’t have guaranteed futures. We have to work hard, yet the payoff is often so little,” she continued. “If I don’t succeed the first time, I’ll try a second; if not the second, then a third. One way or another, I’m determined to escape China.”

Supporting her efforts, her father told Shen, “I’m doing this entirely for my daughter’s future.”

During the trip, Shen learned that about 50 or 60 Chinese nationals were staying at an inn along the route. A local person involved in the business told him that, in the first half of 2026 alone, he personally handled the cases of more than 150 Chinese migrants taking this route.

“More and more Chinese people want to go abroad to seek opportunities,” Shen said.

It was deeply saddening to see so many Chinese people leave their homes and risk their lives, he said.

“It is tragic that Chinese people have been driven to this point. It stems from growing despair over the Communist Party’s rule and a complete lack of hope for the future.”

Fight Against CCP Continues in Germany 

On Sept. 12, Shen announced on X that he had safely arrived in Germany, where he has entered a refugee camp to seek asylum.

In July, during an online livestream, Shen read aloud the Chinese translation of the speech U.S. President Donald Trump had delivered for the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, including Trump’s criticism of communism. His livestreaming account was immediately and permanently banned, and the police came to his home to give him a warning.

Subsequently, on July 20, Shen publicly issued a statement via The Epoch Times declaring his withdrawal from the Chinese Communist Party and its affiliated organizations.

Now in Germany, Shen said he will continue his fight against the CCP. After settling down, he wants to take action to help Chinese people who want to flee China under the CCP’s rule.

Because he had to leave home in a hurry, Shen had no time to say goodbye to his wife. After a video call with her, he cried. “I hope she can take care of herself. When the time is right, I will bring [her] over,” he said.

Hong Ning, Zhang Zhongyuan, and Tang Bing contributed to this report.