A 22-year-old Chinese international student and activist has gone missing while visiting her family in China, raising fears of another case of transnational repression targeting overseas activists.
On July 5, 2025, Zhang Yadi (online name Tara @TaraFreesoul), who had been studying in France, returned to her hometown of Changsha, Hunan province. Less than a month later, on July 30, she disappeared in Shangri-La, Yunnan province.
Zhang is an editor with Chinese Youth Stand for Tibet (CYST), a digital platform that emerged after the 2022 “white paper protests.” The group advocates for dialogue between Han and Tibetan communities and seeks to “share the hidden truth about Tibet among the Chinese-speaking community.”
According to CYST, Zhang may have been detained by state security under accusations of “endangering national security.”
Disappearance and Suspicions
Before vanishing, Zhang maintained regular contact with friends and family. After July 30, however, all communication was cut off. Messages later appeared on her WeChat account, but friends say the statements were inconsistent and suspicious.
Her best friend and CYST founder Ginger Duan recalled that in their final exchange, Zhang claimed she was hospitalized. “I asked for proof, like a selfie or a doctor’s note. She couldn’t provide it. I didn’t believe her,” Duan told.
CYST now fears Zhang faces heavy charges linked to national security and Tibet-related activism, possibly framed as “organized crime.”
Crackdown on Advocacy
Rights groups have pointed to Zhang’s case as part of a wider pattern of China’s transnational repression, targeting dissidents and student activists abroad.
“This is a case of transnational repression,” said Maya Wang, associate Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The fear is that students’ activism abroad is being closely monitored, creating a chilling effect on what people feel safe to say and do, even outside of China.”
Wang added that since Zhang’s activism took place in France, “the French government has a responsibility to protect its residents and press Beijing for her release.”
Legal Support Blocked
Prominent Chinese human rights lawyer Jiang Tianyong attempted to assist Zhang’s family. On September 16, while meeting Zhang’s mother in Changsha, Jiang was forcibly taken away by three unidentified men and held at a police station. He was later released.
“Beijing’s True Tibet Policy”
Duan emphasized that Zhang’s work was rooted in peaceful dialogue. “CYST represents a new generation of young Chinese committed to mediating ethnic conflicts,” she said.
Yet, she argued, Beijing’s reaction reveals the state’s intolerance:
“When youths attempt to foster grassroots exchanges and dispel longstanding misunderstandings about Tibet, the Chinese Communist Party responds with arrests. This exposes the true nature of Beijing’s Tibet policy: they neither want genuine understanding between Han and Tibetan people, nor a real resolution to the Tibet question.”
CYST has urged the international community to closely monitor the case, stressing that only sustained pressure could compel the Chinese government to release Zhang.
Rising Repression
Human rights advocates warn that Zhang’s disappearance is emblematic of China’s tightening ideological control.
“It’s alarming,” said Wang. “Even expressing solidarity with Tibetans or Uyghurs is increasingly treated as a threat to national security.”
Zhang had been preparing to begin studies at the School of Oriental and Asian Studies (SOAS), University of London, this September. Her sudden disappearance now leaves her family, friends, and supporters in anguish — and the world waiting for answers.
📌 This report is part of Investigative Journalism Reportika’s ongoing coverage of human rights, transnational repression, and ethnic policy in China.
