China’s petitioners try to solve their problems by directly contacting major authority figures – but they have little chance of success. Instead, some, like 54-year-old Bai Jiemen of Shanghai, go to great lengths to catch the attention of Chinese officials visiting the US. But Bai’s attempt to reach the motorcade of Chinese Vice-Premier Liu He, who was in Washington for trade talks in January, led to a US Secret Service officer being injured. Bai may now face more than seven years of jail time for allegedly assaulting the officer.