Sun Shiyan

Sun Wei's date of birth is not specified, but her family background is quite prominent. Her father is Sun Dawu, a central member of the China Democratic League, and her mother is a doctor. Her grandfather, Sun Yueqi, served as Honorary Chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang Revolutionary Committee, President of the China Peaceful Reunification Promotion Association, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and an advisor to the Ministry of Coal Industry. Sun Wei’s paternal cousin, Sun Fuling, is Deputy Chairman of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and Vice Mayor of Beijing. He has also served as Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and Vice Chairman of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce. These family connections have provided her with certain social resources.

Regarding her educational background, Sun Wei attended Tsinghua University, where several incidents drew public attention. On November 24, 1994, Zhu Ling exhibited poisoning symptoms, and on May 7, 1995, Beijing police filed an investigation. Sun Shiyan was listed as a suspect. Following the incident, she underwent multiple interrogations, including a first intense interrogation in April 1997, where she was taken away for eight hours of questioning and then returned home. Subsequently, in August 1997, Tsinghua University withheld her graduation certificate. Sun Wei repeatedly attempted to negotiate with the school but was unsuccessful. In August 1998, police declared the case closed, lifting any restrictions on Sun Shiyan, and stated that no direct evidence had been found.

From 2005 onwards, the Zhu Ling case regained public attention. On December 30, 2005, Sun Wei posted online asserting her innocence. On January 13, 2006, she issued another statement firmly denying the poisoning allegations and pointed out that she was not the only person who might have come into contact with thallium salts. Starting in 2006, Sun Wei changed her name to Sun Shiyan, altered her birth date, and used a photo from her high school days to apply for a new ID card. In the Zhu Ling case, she shared a residence in Room 114, Building 6, with several other roommates. Because she was the only student with legitimate access to thallium salts at the time, she became the main suspect of the police.

In 2013, Beijing police issued a notice recognizing that a poisoning crime had occurred but could not directly link the case to any suspect due to lack of surveillance footage and physical evidence. Sun Wei’s identity then attracted widespread public interest. In April 2013, she issued a statement claiming innocence and mentioned that she had attempted to apply to go abroad to the U.S., but her application was not approved. In 2024, prosecutors reaffirmed her legal status, confirming that she was once a suspect but that legal proceedings had not been concluded.

In her personal life, Sun Wei comes from a family with a strong political and industrial influence. In January 2024, she moved to Australia, settling in Port Stephens, New South Wales, where she is engaged in real estate investment and managing guesthouses. She and her husband, Xie Feiyu, own multiple properties, including some purchased for several million dollars in Quicks Mountain, and operate numerous investment properties and guesthouses.

Sun Wei’s life story is intertwined with complex cases involving her family background, education, legal investigations, and overseas relocation, making her a continual focus of public interest.