Chinese artist and dissident Ai Weiwei returned to China last month for the first time in a decade, visiting Beijing for three weeks after years of exile in Europe. His passport had been confiscated in 2015, ending travel restrictions tied to his political dissent. Upon arrival, Ai was interrogated for nearly two hours at Beijing's airport before being granted entry. He documented the trip on Instagram, including a reunion between his 17-year-old son and 93-year-old mother, and described the experience as like reconnecting a long-disconnected phone call.
This return matters because Ai Weiwei is one of China's most prominent government critics, known for his outspoken opposition to censorship, police brutality, and extrajudicial incarceration. His unhindered reentry—despite a brief interrogation—signals a possible shift in Beijing's approach to high-profile dissidents. The visit also comes as Ai promotes his new book on censorship and has commented on China's perceived "upward phase" versus a decline in Western society, adding a provocative layer to ongoing debates about artistic freedom and political repression globally.