Is former CCP military officer Yao Cheng a "scumbag of the pro-democracy movement"?

 Direct Translation

Walked into a trap or is there more to the story? Former CCP military officer Yao Cheng suddenly returns to the mainland; pro-democracy activists condemn him as a "scumbag of the pro-democracy movement"

Reporter : Lin Changyue / Editor : Zhong Kang / https://www.aboluowang.com/2026/0523/2387130.html / Source : Newtalk / Image : Former Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officer Yao Cheng, who had been in exile in the United States for many years, has recently been revealed to have quietly returned to China. (Image: Screenshot from The Epoch Times X)

This has recently caused a major stir in overseas Chinese communities and the pro-democracy movement. According to multiple reports on the X platform, Yao Cheng (real name Han Chunsheng), a former lieutenant colonel and staff officer in the CCP Navy Headquarters who had publicly opposed the CCP and was active overseas for a long time, has quietly left the United States and returned to mainland China. Given Yao Cheng's past public anti-communist statements, this move has sparked strong questions and heated debates in overseas media regarding whether it is a genuine return to his roots or if there are other motives.

Cai Shenkun, a senior Chinese media professional residing in the United States, posted that Yao Cheng recently entered China through a border crossing in Yunnan Province and made a brief stop in a small, fifth-tier county town. Cai Shenkun quoted Yao Cheng himself as saying that Yao Cheng claimed to have felt disappointed with life in the United States and despairing of Trump, and at nearly 70 years old, he conceived the idea of ​​returning to his roots. Yao Cheng declared that he wanted to personally verify whether returning to China would result in arrest, emphasizing that he was fully prepared mentally and wouldn't care if arrested or imprisoned upon his return. Reportedly, Yao Cheng passed through customs safely and praised the low prices and infrastructure of the area, comparing it to a third-tier American city. He stated that he had only previously advocated for the "nationalization of the military," and planned to travel abroad for a while before considering returning to his hometown to retire.

Image : Yao Cheng has criticized the CCP on numerous occasions in past interviews. (Image: Screenshot from NTDTV X)

Regarding Yao Cheng's high-profile return to China, various overseas figures have offered drastically different interpretations and harsh accusations. Du Wen, former deputy director of the Legal Advisory Office of the Inner Mongolia government, expressed strong disbelief. In an article on his personal X account, he pointed out that Yao Cheng's actions were nothing more than a sign of mental instability, some kind of deal with the CCP, or perhaps he was originally a spy. Du Wen specifically warned that Yao Cheng had given numerous interviews to overseas media outlets such as *The Epoch Times* and *NTDTV*, and that once he safely landed, those close to him and related media outlets could become targets of betrayal, with very serious consequences.

Pro-democracy activist Jie Lijian publicly criticized Yao Cheng on his personal social media account, calling him "a scoundrel disguised as a pro-democracy activist." Jie believes Yao Cheng's core purpose is to expand China's external propaganda and lure more anti-CCP democrats back to China. Jie further revealed that Yao Cheng chose to return because his political asylum attempt failed before his return, and his testimony to immigration officers contained several fatal errors, making it difficult for him to obtain legal status again. Jie condemned Yao Cheng for falsely claiming to possess a green card for many years, an act that constitutes a federal criminal offense in the United States. He accused Yao of openly promoting Chinese government crimes and smearing the American system, revealing his ugly face.

Currently, Yao Cheng has not responded to the overwhelming accusations from overseas pro-democracy circles. The true motives and future fate of this former CCP military officer, who once publicly expressed anti-communist views, have become a focus of attention for pro-democracy circles both domestically and internationally, as well as those concerned with the current situation in China.

Image : Pro-democracy activist Li Jian strongly criticized Yao Cheng's actions, calling him a scoundrel disguised as a member of the pro-democracy movement. (Image: Retrieved from X @kingluffywang)