Chinese Migrant Worker’s Gang-Related Charges Dropped After More Than Two Years in Custody Over Wage Rights Posts

In March 2024, Jing Shuren, a migrant worker from Gansu Province and an online public-interest advocate, was arrested by police for reposting on Weibo content related to migrant workers’ wage claims and rights protection. After more than two years of extended detention, the case reached a major turning point in July 2026.

According to the latest amended indictment decision, prosecutors listed 27 alleged cases of extortion. The majority involved disputes over long-unpaid project payments or labor service fees owed by companies or government-related entities. The allegations involving Jing Shuren stated that he had “reposted false and negative posts at the arrangement of or voluntarily for Zhou Lubao,” but did not involve obtaining illegal proceeds.

On July 19, prosecutors amended the indictment and withdrew the accusation that the defendants had formed or participated in an “evil forces” criminal group. Jing Shuren’s alleged role was also changed from a principal offender in the alleged group crime to an accomplice in ordinary joint criminal conduct.

Jing Shuren, aged 49 (born in August 1976), has a junior middle school education and was a heavy social media user. His verified Sina Weibo account mainly consisted of reposts concerning rights protection efforts by disadvantaged groups and public complaints, with almost no personal content. In April 2024, Jing was arrested by the Chengguan District Branch of the Lanzhou Public Security Bureau on suspicion of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble.” At the time of his arrest, he worked as a security guard at a company in Lanzhou, responsible for gatekeeping duties.

Connection to the Zhou Lubao Case

Jing Shuren’s legal troubles stemmed from his alleged involvement in the case of Zhou Lubao.

Zhou Lubao, aged 41 (born in April 1985), is from Xucun Town, Haining City, Zhejiang Province, and his ancestral hometown is Yuntian Town, Longxi County, Dingxi City, Gansu Province. He and Jing Shuren are from the same hometown.

Zhou was previously active in online rights advocacy. In 2015, the Kunshan People’s Court in Jiangsu Province at first instance and the Suzhou Intermediate People’s Court on appeal sentenced Zhou to five years in prison and fined him RMB 30,000 for extortion. He was released from prison in June 2018.

However, six years later, on March 17, 2024, Zhou Lubao was again criminally detained by the Chengguan Public Security Bureau of Lanzhou on suspicion of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” and was formally arrested on April 3. Around the same period, Jing Shuren and six other defendants were also arrested.

Prosecutors’ Allegations

According to the amended indictment issued by the Chengguan District Procuratorate of Lanzhou, after Zhou Lubao was released from prison in June 2018, he allegedly continued to pursue illegal interests by intervening in private economic disputes.

The prosecutors alleged that Zhou and several other defendants targeted unresolved disputes involving project payments and labor fees owed by well-known companies or individuals in Lanzhou, Tianshui, and other regions. They allegedly published false and negative posts on multiple online platforms under themes such as “maliciously withholding migrant workers’ hard-earned wages” and anti-corruption claims, using these posts to pressure relevant companies, government entities, and individuals.

The indictment stated that between January 2022 and January 2024, Zhou Lubao and other defendants repeatedly committed alleged offenses including provoking disturbances and extortion, seriously disrupting economic, social, and online order.

Changes in the Charges

Legal documents show that on September 3, 2024, the Chengguan Branch of the Lanzhou Public Security Bureau transferred the case for prosecution review, accusing Zhou Lubao, Jing Shuren, and five other defendants of:

• Organizing, leading, or participating in a crime group of a “mafia-like nature”;
• Extortion;
• Picking quarrels and provoking trouble;
• Illegal business operations.

The original indictment by the Chengguan District Procuratorate later changed the accusation from a “mafia-like organization” to an “evil forces” group and removed the charge of illegal business operations.

The latest amended indictment completely withdrew the accusation that Zhou Lubao, Jing Shuren, and the other defendants constituted an “evil forces” criminal group.

Jing Shuren’s Specific Allegations

The latest amended indictment listed 27 alleged extortion incidents, most of which involved companies or government departments allegedly owing long-overdue project payments or labor fees.

The allegations concerning Jing Shuren stated that he:

“Reposted false and negative posts under Zhou Lubao’s instructions or voluntarily.”

The posts involved were related to rights protection and wage recovery efforts.

Among the seven defendants in the case, Jing Shuren was the only person who was not accused of obtaining illegal financial benefits.

Jing’s relatives stated that Jing and Zhou Lubao were distant relatives. They had discussed in online groups helping companies or workers facing unpaid wages with rights protection efforts.

According to his relatives:

“Jing Shuren did help some people recover unpaid wages and forwarded their complaint materials to Zhou Lubao, but he never received money or benefits from companies or individuals.”

Personal Background

Jing Shuren was born in 1976 into a poor rural family in Longxi County, Gansu Province. He was the only son among six siblings and took responsibility for supporting his parents at an early age.

After graduating from junior middle school at age 15, Jing was forced to leave school and work elsewhere because his family could not afford education expenses.

Despite his difficult background, Jing frequently involved himself in issues unrelated to his own interests.

In 2018, a university student from his hometown in Longxi County, who was also a distant relative, was deceived into joining a pyramid scheme organization in Cangzhou, Hebei Province. After learning about the situation, Jing traveled to Hebei at his own expense and eventually helped rescue the student together with police officers from the Cangzhou Railway Station Police Station.

On March 4, 2024, Jing posted on Weibo that he discovered a damaged water supply pipeline on Provincial Highway 209 in Longxi County while returning home. He immediately contacted the local water authority, which later sent him a message thanking him for reporting the issue.

Before His Arrest

Before his arrest, Jing worked as a security guard at a company in Lanzhou New Area, earning a monthly salary of slightly more than RMB 2,000.

Because he frequently worked night shifts, many of his Weibo posts were published late at night.

On the night before his detention, March 15, 2024, Jing reposted dozens of Weibo posts, all related to public affairs and social governance.

Public Attention

During the more than two years since Jing Shuren’s arrest, some internet users who had interacted with him online expressed concern about his case.

Professor Yu Jianrong of the Rural Economy Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences had interacted with Jing both online and offline.

After Jing was detained, Yu wrote on Weibo:

“Jing Shuren has finally gone in. I once advised him: You are a migrant worker making a living on construction sites, yet you monitor one issue yesterday and criticize another today. One day you will get into trouble. He replied: If everyone stays silent, what will happen to this society? I said: If you go in, what will happen to your elderly father and young children? After remaining silent for a long time, he said: I still want to do something for the rule of law in this country.”

Caixin Media, the Chinese outlet that originally reported the case, has removed the article. Some observers speculate that the deletion may have resulted from pressure from prosecutors. Meanwhile, reposts of Caixin Media’s report have been removed from most Chinese websites, and the story is now only archived by a limited number of left-leaning and liberal websites. https://www.wenxuecity.com/news/2026/07/25/126720977.html https://m.szhgh.com/Article/gnzs/gongyi/2026-07-25/410257.html