Pro-democracy activist and award-winning author, Yu calls himself a "true patriot."

Yu is the author of more than 30 books, beginning with the socially and politically charged Fire and Ice and including a “scathing critique” of Wen Jiabao titled China’s Best Actor and a biography of Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo. His work is banned in China.

Yu and Liu, his close friend and associate, collaborated on Charter 08, a manifesto calling on the Communist Party of China to adopt gradual political reforms. Yu, who converted to Christianity in 2003, had extensive input on the sections about religious freedom.

As a result, he was put under house arrest and tortured so badly he almost died. Afterward he emigrated to the United States to continue his dissent against the China’s leadership.

Yu has vowed to use his new-found freedom to continue to write works "that will not betray the expectations of my friends” and that will "put forth my voice on the broader international platform on behalf of the struggle for democracy and freedom in China."

Yu is a member of the Beijing Ark Church, a Protestant house church. In May 2006, he met with U.S. President George W. Bush at the White House.