Wang, a well-known activist during the 2013 protests in Guangzhou and online commentator, was detained ahead of the anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen protests in May 2021, likely because of his tweets regarding social justice and pandemic control. He was formally charged with “picking quarrels and provoking trouble” in July 2022. Less than a year later, on May 19, 2023, Wang was sentenced to three years in prison.