Beyond the Talk: Lei Cheng on the value of freedom

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Lei Cheng |

TED Talks Daily

• April 2025

" I marvel at every little freedom that we have. Because for three years and two months, it was all brutally taken away from me," says journalist Lei Cheng. In 2020, Lei was wrongfully detained in China after being falsely accused of leaking state secrets. Several years after her release, she took the stage at TED2025 to share her perspective on the meaning and value of freedom. Following her talk, Lei sat down for a special conversation with "TED Talks Daily" host Elise Hu to discuss her experience and how it’s shaped her vision for a freer future.