1Constitutionalism and the Rule of Law Above All
The law stands above power. All power must be constrained by the constitution and subject to oversight, and the judiciary must remain independent — this is the fundamental mark that distinguishes a modern state from the age of imperial rule.
2Parliamentary Democracy and Citizen Participation
Democracy is more than holding a ballot; it requires a parliament that represents the people, supervises power, and deliberates according to law. Different voices debate openly and form consensus through consultation, and every citizen has an equal opportunity to express, to participate, and to compete. Parliament belongs to all the people — not to any party or leader.
3Peaceful, Rational, Nonviolent Transition
Change through dialogue rather than confrontation, through peaceful transition rather than violence and hatred. As Liu Xiaobo said, “I have no enemies, and no hatred” — advocating national reconciliation that is not premised on toppling or humiliating anyone.
4A Safe-Exit Mechanism
Dictators dare not relinquish power because they fear retribution once they lose it. The way out is a system in which rulers dare to step down, opponents dare to run for office, the military belongs to the nation, and the judiciary is never an instrument of revenge: political defeat does not mean personal ruin, and losing power does not mean losing safety. Only then can the cycle of political purges end.
5Against Dictatorship and Hereditary Power
Against lifetime rule, and against the “family realm” style of intergenerational power transfer: political capital passed down through red families and networks of connections creates de facto hereditary rule and a political aristocracy. Political office is not a family asset; the country belongs to the public.
6Farewell to Political Terror
An order maintained by fear, suppression, and purges corrodes the trust between people and stifles a society's vitality and creativity. Genuine stability can only be built on a foundation of respect for human rights and for rules.
7Human Rights and Dignity
Protect freedom of speech and expression, reproductive autonomy, and the dignity of women. The intergenerational psychological trauma left by the family-planning policy compounded by son preference must not be forgotten: women are not childbearing tools, and a person's worth is not determined by gender.
8The Costume Movement: Principle Carried by Dress
The everyday act of wearing traditional costume, open to everyone, as peaceful political expression: one person wearing it is a personal choice; a group wearing it is civic action; wearing it persistently is the quietest — and most striking — repudiation of lifetime rule.
9Against Transnational Repression
The CCP's long-arm jurisdiction and cross-border suppression extend fear overseas, threatening the freedom and safety of exiled and overseas pro-democracy activists. Defending the right of overseas dissidents to express themselves, assemble, and organize on free soil is a bottom line the democratic world must not surrender.
10Respect for Cultural Diversity
Against forced assimilation carried out in the name of “unity.” Cultural diversity is a source of social vitality; the languages, faiths, and cultural identities of different ethnic groups and communities deserve respect, not erasure by authoritarian power.
11Religious Freedom and Truth Above Power
The CCP's fear of religious freedom is, at root, a clash of worldviews: atheist materialism denies God, the soul, and any truth beyond matter, so that power can crown itself as truth and rule hearts through material control; it even seeks to remake religion itself, putting the Party in the place of God. True faith teaches the opposite: the Party is not God, political power is not truth, and human dignity comes from God, not from a government's favor. To fight for religious freedom is to fight for the right to know the truth and for a conscience no party may remake. Truth stands above power; in the end truth will be revealed and lies will collapse. (From "The CCP's Fear of the Truth of the Universe," October 17, 2026.)
12Nonviolent Non-Cooperation
The Chinese Traditional Costume Movement draws on and pays tribute to Gandhi's nonviolent non-cooperation: clothing as the most direct political symbol; an absolute commitment to nonviolence - no violence, no armed conflict, and no ordinary person asked to pay with their life for a political goal; and political expression woven into everyday life, lowering the threshold and the risk so that anyone can take part, anywhere, awakening civic consciousness in the digital age. The Chinese Traditional Costume Movement is China's "nonviolent non-cooperation" movement. (See "The Chinese Traditional Costume Movement - China's 'Nonviolent Non-Cooperation' Movement," October 17, 2026.)
13Farewell to Political Terror, Rebirth of Civilized Politics
A regime that tolerates no questioning builds its authority not on trust, but on fear. The deepest danger of political fear is that it silences not only the voices already raised, but also the voices not yet spoken - when people remain silent for fear of punishment, silence no longer means consent; it means fear. Civilized politics is not founded on everyone holding identical views, but on acknowledging differences and resolving them through law, institutions, open debate and peaceful competition. A government is not a god beyond questioning, and a party is not a master above the people; political power must answer the people's questions: where does power come from, who supervises those who hold it, and when rulers make mistakes, can the people point them out openly and demand accountability? A regime's true strength lies not in how many people it can silence, but in whether it has the courage to face questioning, admit mistakes and accept the people's supervision. (From "A Regime That Tolerates No Questioning: Farewell to Political Terror, Rebirth of Civilized Politics," October 18, 2026)
