[8] He posted online videos reporting on the protests in Hong Kong against the 2019 extradition bill, where he countered the government's characterization of the protestors as violent rioters.

[9][8][10] In early October, he began posting on YouTube, blocked for many in mainland China, stating that since freedom of speech is a right in the Chinese constitution he must continue.

Unlike state media reporters, who wore hazmat suits, Chen appeared to have only goggles and a face mask to protect himself.

Why should I be afraid of you, Communist Party?By early February 2020, while reporting about the coronavirus outbreak, Chen had 433,000 YouTube subscribers and 246,000 Twitter followers.

[16] His mother, and friend Xu Xiaodong, have both stated that on 7 February, they received news from authorities that Chen had been detained at an undeclared time and place and held in an unknown location for the purpose of quarantine.

[17] Amnesty International's Patrick Poon said around 14 February 2020 that it was still unknown whether Chen (and another citizen journalist, Fang Bin) had been arrested or placed under "forced quarantine".

Poon called on China to inform their families and provide access to a lawyer, stating: "Otherwise, it's a legitimate concern that they are at risk of torture or other ill-treatment.

"[18] A Human Rights Watch representative stated the Chinese government "has a history of harassing and detaining citizens for speaking the truth or for criticizing the authorities during public emergencies, for example, during SARS in 2003, Wenchuan earthquake in 2008, Wenzhou train crash in 2011 and Tianjin chemical explosion in 2015.

[24] In early April, Republican lawmakers in the U.S. called for an inquiry into the Chinese government's behaviour, including the disappearances of Fang Bin, Chen Qiushi, and Li Zehua, saying "(The Chinese authorities) lied to the world about the human-to-human transmission of the virus, silenced doctors and journalists who tried to report the truth, and are now apparently hiding the accurate number of people impacted by this disease.

[27] On 30 September 2021, Chen re-emerged with a short appearance on his friend Xu Xiaodong's live video feed on YouTube, while also posting a letter on Twitter.