NEW YORK—As residents in New York gear up for the local elections, an unseen force may be hard at work.
City comptroller candidate John Liu has a friendly relationship with Chinese Communist Party (CCP) organizations and former Canadian diplomat Brian McAdam says New Yorkers should be concerned.
“Wherever there is a Chinese community, the CCP is going to try and infiltrate, if they haven’t done so already,” McAdam said.
City Councilman John Liu is vying for the New York City comptroller job, with the primary elections on Sept. 15.
He will face David Weprin, Melinda Katz, and David Yassky in a bid to be the Democratic candidate for the main race for comptroller—the caretaker of the city’s more than $60 million budget.
Politicians like John Liu are “the face” of the CCP’s United Front work in their cities, according to a member of the NYPD with a history of work in Chinese communities. He spoke about the issue on a separate occasion under condition of anonymity.
The United Front is a strategy that uses overseas Chinese to infiltrate foreign politics and establish community associations, business groups, and media that promote the interests of the CCP around the world. These groups plant or transform political and community leaders who act as agents of influence for the regime.
The umbrella organization, the United Front Work Department, sits under the CCP Central Committee and is part of an intelligence operation that harks back to 1935. Three pillars make up the United Front efforts under each consulate abroad: Chinese community associations, student associations, and media and propaganda.
John Liu met with Xu Yousheng, a top director of the United Front operation, officially called Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council, during a sponsored trip to China in 2007.
The Overseas Chinese Affairs Office acts as a medium between the United Front Work Department and the CCP’s foreign embassies and consulates. When needed, the consulates and embassies will relay orders to CCP-controlled Chinese associations, student groups, business groups, and media.
During the trip Liu was also given the highly publicized “The World is More Beautiful Because of You” award.
Many Chinese associations are fronts for gang and mafia organizations, said the NYPD source. Aside from the corrupt power structure, they can engage in illegal gambling; counterfeit bags, DVDs, and CDs; human trafficking; extortion; and prostitution.
The Fukien American Association, one of the most prominent Chinese associations, is affiliated with the Fuk Ching gang, according to a document published by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) International Center, United Nation Activities.
The Fukien American Association held a dinner in Manhattan’s Chinatown in June this year. Sitting on either side of the Association’s chairman were Peng Keyu, the Chinese consul general, and comptroller candidate John Liu. The Fukien American Association is known to have strong ties to New York’s Chinese Consulate.
Leaders of the Chinese associations are sent to China periodically to attend camps that train them in things like interpersonal relationships, personnel management, and foreign affairs policies. Regional governments can spend tens of thousands of dollars providing these training camps free of charge to participants, according to a research report by the nonprofit World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong, which draws heavily from original CCP Internet sources.
He Qinglian, an economist and author who writes on China’s media control, said the United Front was one of the CCP’s so-called three magic weapons during the civil war.
“Now, it means unite overseas Chinese, so that these overseas Chinese will support the communist government—not the dissidents—[but] that everyone will work for the CCP’s interest,” Ms. He said, adding that the long-term goal is very simple.
“The Chinese congressmen in the U.S., once they accept CCP’s propaganda, they will influence Americans and American associations in all kinds of occasions, and they will make pro-China policies,” she said. “These are not short-term goals; they are achieved indirectly. Gradually, these pro-communist politicians will be able to have an impact [in U.S. society].”
McAdam agrees, saying cooperation with the CCP front organizations is very beneficial for overseas Chinese.
City comptroller candidate John Liu has a friendly relationship with Chinese Communist Party (CCP) organizations and former Canadian diplomat Brian McAdam says New Yorkers should be concerned.
“Wherever there is a Chinese community, the CCP is going to try and infiltrate, if they haven’t done so already,” McAdam said.
City Councilman John Liu is vying for the New York City comptroller job, with the primary elections on Sept. 15.
He will face David Weprin, Melinda Katz, and David Yassky in a bid to be the Democratic candidate for the main race for comptroller—the caretaker of the city’s more than $60 million budget.
‘Face’ of the United Front
Politicians like John Liu are “the face” of the CCP’s United Front work in their cities, according to a member of the NYPD with a history of work in Chinese communities. He spoke about the issue on a separate occasion under condition of anonymity.
The United Front is a strategy that uses overseas Chinese to infiltrate foreign politics and establish community associations, business groups, and media that promote the interests of the CCP around the world. These groups plant or transform political and community leaders who act as agents of influence for the regime.
The umbrella organization, the United Front Work Department, sits under the CCP Central Committee and is part of an intelligence operation that harks back to 1935. Three pillars make up the United Front efforts under each consulate abroad: Chinese community associations, student associations, and media and propaganda.
John Liu met with Xu Yousheng, a top director of the United Front operation, officially called Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council, during a sponsored trip to China in 2007.
The Overseas Chinese Affairs Office acts as a medium between the United Front Work Department and the CCP’s foreign embassies and consulates. When needed, the consulates and embassies will relay orders to CCP-controlled Chinese associations, student groups, business groups, and media.
During the trip Liu was also given the highly publicized “The World is More Beautiful Because of You” award.
Chinese Associations and Consulates
Many Chinese associations are fronts for gang and mafia organizations, said the NYPD source. Aside from the corrupt power structure, they can engage in illegal gambling; counterfeit bags, DVDs, and CDs; human trafficking; extortion; and prostitution.
The Fukien American Association, one of the most prominent Chinese associations, is affiliated with the Fuk Ching gang, according to a document published by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) International Center, United Nation Activities.
The Fukien American Association held a dinner in Manhattan’s Chinatown in June this year. Sitting on either side of the Association’s chairman were Peng Keyu, the Chinese consul general, and comptroller candidate John Liu. The Fukien American Association is known to have strong ties to New York’s Chinese Consulate.
Leaders of the Chinese associations are sent to China periodically to attend camps that train them in things like interpersonal relationships, personnel management, and foreign affairs policies. Regional governments can spend tens of thousands of dollars providing these training camps free of charge to participants, according to a research report by the nonprofit World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong, which draws heavily from original CCP Internet sources.
The Regime’s Long-Term Goals
He Qinglian, an economist and author who writes on China’s media control, said the United Front was one of the CCP’s so-called three magic weapons during the civil war.
“Now, it means unite overseas Chinese, so that these overseas Chinese will support the communist government—not the dissidents—[but] that everyone will work for the CCP’s interest,” Ms. He said, adding that the long-term goal is very simple.
“The Chinese congressmen in the U.S., once they accept CCP’s propaganda, they will influence Americans and American associations in all kinds of occasions, and they will make pro-China policies,” she said. “These are not short-term goals; they are achieved indirectly. Gradually, these pro-communist politicians will be able to have an impact [in U.S. society].”
McAdam agrees, saying cooperation with the CCP front organizations is very beneficial for overseas Chinese.
