Chongqing Private Entrepreneur Li Huaiqing, Sentenced to 20 Years, Spends His 60th Birthday in Prison

（Rights Defense Network Information Center report）On April 29, 2026， this outlet learned：Li Huaiqing, a Chongqing private entrepreneur sentenced to 20 years in prison, spent his 60th birthday in prison today。

On January 31, 2018， Chongqing private entrepreneur and billionaire Li Huaiqing， was arrested and detained by the authorities on charges of inciting subversion of state power, fraud, extortion, and unlawful detention， for saying a few things on WeChat。After being held for nearly three years， he was sentenced to 20 years at the Chongqing First Intermediate People’s Court on November 20, 2020， shocking the world。In June 2025， he was placed under strict management in prison and prohibited from speaking with anyone。He is currently detained at Xingyi Prison in Guizhou Province， address：Li Huaiqing, Sub-ward 2, Ward 2, Annex No. 9, Mailbox 00934, Xingyi City, Guizhou Province（postcode 562400）

Li Huaiqing’s biography：Born on April 29, 1966， a native of Chongqing， a demobilized military serviceman， a volunteer with “Handy Public Welfare”， owner of Chongqing Fuhua Pawn Company， private entrepreneur， and Chinese political prisoner。

Because of his urgent and righteous character， he had long paid attention to and supported disadvantaged groups; he quietly supported impoverished children in the Daliangshan region and former comrades-in-arms from difficult family circumstances for many years， actively participated in the “Great Love Dust Removal” campaign to assist fellow workers suffering from pneumoconiosis， and donated nearly 300,000 yuan for these causes in succession， without seeking anything in return， earning the love and welcome of disadvantaged groups;

On January 31, 2018， he was suddenly criminally detained by Chongqing police on the charge of “involvement in organized crime”， while his wife, children, company employees, and others were also implicated and arrested， and were released only after being subjected to several hours of interrogation, threats, and coercion for no apparent reason; in February of the same year， the company under his name, the assets and accounts of his wife Bao Yan and his biological elder sister—who had absolutely nothing to do with the case—(including cash and real estate, with a total value of more than 100 million yuan) were all frozen by Chongqing police in the name of “cracking down on organized crime”;

His charges were subsequently changed by the Chongqing Municipal Procuratorate to suspected “inciting subversion of state power”， accusing him of having “incited subversion of state power through rumor-mongering, defamation, and other means” seven times on WeChat between October 2017 and January 2018， including forwarding an article stating that the “Red Fourth Front Army killed one million people in Sichuan”， as well as forwarding an audio recording containing terms such as “moral resistance” and “violent revolution”， which was deemed illegal; on April 24, 2018， his charge was consequently changed from “involvement in organized crime” to “subversion of state power”;

During his nearly two years of detention， neither his lawyers nor his family ever received an arrest notice or any document explaining that he was suspected of “inciting subversion of state power”; the case in which Li Huaiqing was suspected of inciting subversion of state power was subsequently heard at the Chongqing First Intermediate People’s Court on June 8, 2020， without a verdict being issued。Li Huaiqing is currently detained at the Jiangbei District Detention Center in Chongqing。On November 20, 2020, Chongqing private entrepreneur Li Huaiqing was sentenced to 20 years in prison by the Qing Municipal First Intermediate Court for four crimes: inciting subversion of state power, fraud, extortion, and unlawful detention。He was subsequently held at Liupanshui Prison in Liupanshui City, Guizhou Province。In May 2024, he was transferred to Xingyi Prison in Guizhou Province。He is currently detained at Xingyi Prison in Guizhou Province， address：Li Huaiqing, Sub-ward 2, Ward 2, Annex No. 9, Mailbox 00934, Xingyi City, Guizhou Province Li Huaiqing（postcode 562400）

This outlet will continue to follow Mr. Li Huaiqing’s conditions in prison。