Prominent #MeToo Activist Sentenced to Five Years in Prison in China 1 hour before A prominent #MeToo activist in China has been sentenced to five years in prison for “subversion against the state.” Sophia Huang Xueqin was found guilty and sentenced on Friday, almost 10 months after she was tried. Trade union activist Wang Jianbing, who was tried alongside Ms. Huang, was sentenced to three years and six months in prison. Ms. Huang has been one of the most prominent voices in China’s #MeToo space, reporting groundbreaking stories about victims of sexual abuse. She also spoke about the misogyny and sexism she faced in Chinese newsrooms. Chinese authorities have not made clear how the pair were charged with subversion. The trial was a closed-door hearing. Their supporters say they were detained because they organized regular meetings and forums for young people to discuss social issues. Ms. Huang was on her way to pursue a UK government-sponsored master’s scholarship at the University of Sussex when she was detained at Guangzhou city airport in 2021. Mr. Wang was with her at the time. In 2021, amid Covid lockdowns and growing public anger, Chinese authorities launched a crackdown on several activists working in different fields. “Their efforts and dedication to work, women’s rights, and civil society in general will not be nullified by this unfair trial, nor will society forget their contributions,” said campaign group Free Huang Xueqin and Wang Jianbing. “On the contrary, as oppression persists and injustice grows, more activists like them will continue to emerge.” Amnesty International on Friday called the convictions “malicious and totally unfounded.” “(They) show how terrified the Chinese government is of the emerging wave of activists who dare to speak out to protect the rights of others,” said Amnesty International’s China director Sarah Brooks. “#MeToo activism has empowered survivors of sexual violence around the world, but in this case, Chinese authorities have sought to do exactly the opposite: eradicate it.” It is unclear whether the sentence already served by the couple will be used to reduce their sentence. Public reaction to Ms. Huang’s trial has previously been mixed, with some online condemning the case while other critics of the feminist movement welcomed it. Many advocates of gender rights and social causes in China choose to remain anonymous online. They have often been accused of being “agents of hostile Western forces” by state and nationalist internet media.