Chinese Regime’s Fake Bomb Threat Against Shen Yun Is Abhorrent, Expert Says

‘Shen Yun points out the evils of the Chinese government and the tortures that it does,’ a political expert said.

Mark Thomas, an assistant professor at La Salle University, attends a Shen Yun performance at the Merriam Theater in Philadelphia on Feb. 26, 2022. Lily Sun/The Epoch Times

PHILADELPHIA—The recent threats targeting Shen Yun Performing Arts are “absolutely abhorrent,” political expert Mark Thomas said.

Thomas, assistant professor at the Department of Political Science and Economics at La Salle University in Philadelphia, condemned the Chinese regime’s actions against the New York-based performing arts company.

Thomas has seen Shen Yun’s performances and described them as “very peaceful” and “very healing.”

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“I know that the Chinese government is very much opposed to it,” he said. “The bomb threats that China did against the Kennedy Center … are just absolutely abhorrent.

“And whether it’s directly through the Chinese government, through the MSS, or the PLA, or somebody, they co-opted to do it,” he added, referring to China’s Ministry of State Security and the People’s Liberation Army.

Thomas was referring to the most recent threatening email directed at Shen Yun, which resulted in an evacuation of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington hours before the group’s opening night performance on Feb. 20.

The bomb threat, just as those made to other theatres, turned out to be fake.

The latest incident is one of dozens of similar threats against Shen Yun, which presents classical Chinese dance and music to showcase China’s ancient civilization before the communist takeover.

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“What the Chinese government’s doing with these bomb threats is … just uncalled for,” he said. “I mean, it’s a form of disinformation. It’s making people feel afraid to go to the theater.”

Since Shen Yun’s 2025 global tour began, theaters in the United States, France, Taiwan, and other regions have received emails threatening violence if Shen Yun’s shows were not canceled. Recently, the target of the threats has expanded to lawmakers and officials.

Thomas said Beijing’s opposition to such dance and music performances stems from a message the performances convey.

“Shen Yun points out the evils of the Chinese government and the tortures that it does,” he said, calling it “bad news” for the communist regime if the world is aware of how bad it is.

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Founded in 2006, Shen Yun has highlighted Chinese culture before communism; including the human rights abuses under the current regime’s rule, namely the ongoing persecution of Falun Gong.

The meditation practice, also known as Falun Dafa, is based on the tenets of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. It has been brutally persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) since July 1999. Since then, millions have been detained in prisons, labor camps, and other facilities, with hundreds of thousands tortured while incarcerated and untold numbers persecuted to death, according to the Falun Dafa Information Center.

Some of Shen Yun’s performers have experienced torture in China or have family members who have been victims of the CCP’s persecution.

Threatening Campaign

Shen Yun described the bomb threat the Kennedy Center received as one in a series of “pranks meant to scare theaters and audience members.”

Since Shen Yun’s inception, the CCP has tried to disrupt the company.

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More than 100 cases spanning 38 countries have been documented by the Falun Dafa Information Center. In addition to bomb threats, Chinese diplomats have put pressure on theaters and politicians who may attend or support the show. The tires on Shen Yun’s tour buses have been frequently slashed, causing the company to increase security to protect the vehicles 24 hours a day. Over the past two years, the campaign appears to have been escalating.

In December 2022, CCP leader Xi Jinping instructed several top Chinese agencies to attack Falun Gong-related entities globally with new tactics, The Epoch Times reported in December 2024. Specifically, officials were directed to focus on using lawfare and disinformation overseas to hurt Falun Gong’s reputation.

Shen Yun's tour buses have long been targeted for sabotage. Threats have recently escalated against the performing arts company that portrays "China before communism." The Epoch Times

Thomas said the press is “easily manipulated,” recommending people to “get out of looking at one set of ideas and think beyond what the media is saying.”

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After retiring from the U.S. Department of Defense in 2016, Thomas served as a security officer for the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Ensemble Arts. He stressed the importance of the arts.

“Art is ... one great way of reaching people,“ he said. ”It’s one of the few peaceful things we have left, so it’s important.”

He praised Shen Yun’s performances.

“Shen Yun is a wonderful performance, all about peace and harmony and rekindling the history of the Chinese people,” Thomas said. “The technology involved and the grace of the dancers, it’s always an exciting event for me.

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“It brings across a wonderful message … a message of hope in many cases, and it shows good conquering evil,” he added. “That’s the best thing that we can give [to] people.”

Shen Yun now has eight companies touring around the world simultaneously, performing in hundreds of cities across five continents.

The arts group will perform at the Miller Theater in Philadelphia from May 7 to May 11.

Eva Fu, Dorothy Li, and Petr Svab contributed to this report.