On February 13, 1989, through the initiative of poet Bei Dao and with involvement from Chen Jun, 33 people from Beijing's cultural circles jointly signed "An open letter to the Standing Committee of the People's Congress and the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party". This was in response to Fang Lizhi's call from more than a month prior. The open letter called, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 1949 and the 70th anniversary of the May Fourth Movement, for amnesty for political prisoners.

After the open letter was issued, the government made a rebuttal in the form of a reporter from Xinhua News Agency visiting the head of the Ministry of Justice: "Chen Jun and others initiated a letter to request the release of Wei Jingsheng. This is in essence trying to stir up public opinion, put pressure on the government, and interfere in the country's judicial trials."

The letter triggered extensive discussions on reform and democracy in the intellectual circles, and became one of the key events in the brewing of the 1989 student movement.

References: "Standoff at Tian'anmen"; "Political Struggles During the Age of Reform in China"