Commentary
Communist China’s transnational repression is expanding, extending Beijing’s control tactics—such as censorship, intimidation, and surveillance—into foreign countries, including the United States, as it seeks to monitor and pressure critics and overseas Chinese communities.
In late August, two former editors of Hong Kong’s Stand News, Chung Pui-kuen and Patrick Lam, were convicted of allegedly conspiring to publish seditious publications under Hong Kong’s sedition law. This case, one of the first since the 1997 handover, raised serious concerns about the future of free speech and press freedom in Hong Kong. The conviction illustrates the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) increasing efforts to suppress dissent outside of mainland China.
The CCP’s repressive reach extends far beyond its borders, as demonstrated by the case of Wang Shujun, a 75-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen convicted in the United States of acting as an agent for the CCP. Wang was found guilty of spying on Chinese dissidents.
The CCP’s transnational repression has evolved into a global strategy designed to silence dissent, control its diaspora, and expand its authoritarian influence. While the Chinese regime has long used tactics like censorship, surveillance, and crackdowns on opposition within its borders, these methods are increasingly being deployed abroad, impacting individuals and communities in democratic nations. According to Freedom House, the CCP’s extraterritorial tools of repression include assassination, rendition, unlawful deportation, assault, spyware, family intimidation, digital threats, Interpol abuse, and mobility controls. These strategies highlight the CCP’s extensive reach and its determination to suppress opposition globally, undermining democratic freedoms in other nations.
In April 2023, 40 officers from China’s internal security forces were charged in a transnational repression scheme that targeted Chinese dissidents living in the United States. These officers were accused of using fake social media accounts to harass and intimidate individuals advocating for democracy in China. Additionally, they allegedly worked with employees of a U.S. telecommunications company to suppress free speech by removing dissidents from the platform. This case highlights the extent of the CCP’s global efforts to control the narrative, even in democratic countries.
Most of the perpetrators involved in the 2023 transnational repression scheme were officers from China’s Ministry of Public Security (MPS), which, along with the Ministry of State Security (MSS), People’s Armed Police (PAP), People’s Liberation Army (PLA), and the militia, manages domestic security. These forces address internal threats like protests and terrorism, with the MPS taking the lead on law enforcement, public order, anti-riot, and anti-terrorism efforts. Additionally, two officials from the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), known for its vast control over digital content, were implicated. The involvement of these officials highlights China’s broader agenda to assert control over Chinese diaspora communities and the territories they inhabit, signaling the CCP’s belief that these communities remain subject to its authority even abroad.
Much of the recent incidents of transnational repression can be traced back to the CCP’s launch of Operation Fox Hunt in 2014, followed by Operation Sky Net in 2015. Though these programs are officially part of Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s global “anti-corruption“ campaign, they have primarily been used to target political rivals and individuals who have fallen out of favor with the CCP. These operations often use illegal methods, violating international sovereignty and human rights. Tactics include harassment, stalking, pressuring family members, and, in some cases, kidnapping. To date, rights group Safeguard Defenders has documented 283 cases of extrajudicial returns from at least 56 countries and two territories (Hong Kong and Macau), highlighting Beijing’s aggressive transnational repression efforts.
Beijing’s repression extends beyond covert operations, as seen during Xi’s 2023 visit to San Francisco for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, where pro-CCP groups violently confronted anti-CCP protesters. These actions, incentivized by free accommodations from the Chinese Consulate, are part of a broader effort by the CCP to control the narrative abroad, particularly within its diaspora. Chinese authorities frequently target dissidents in the United States and other countries through both direct and indirect methods, often working with organizations like the United Front Work Department, which is tasked with influencing foreign governments, co-opting diaspora communities, and advancing Beijing’s political goals abroad. This reflects the Chinese regime’s global strategy of using soft power, intimidation, and coercion to shut down critics and dissenters.
As China expands its global influence, the distinction between civilians and state actors becomes increasingly blurred. Diaspora groups with connections to the CCP have been instrumental in advancing Beijing’s agenda, establishing a global network of influence that spans from Chinese embassies to local communities. These networks, often coordinated by the United Front Work Department, play a crucial role in promoting the CCP’s narrative and suppressing dissent abroad. As Beijing continues to refine its methods of control and influence, the reach of its repressive tactics could grow, further undermining democratic values and freedoms around the world.
Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
