China’s communist regime is extending its repression into the United States, posing serious implications for U.S. national security, according to a State Department official. Dafna Rand, the newly confirmed assistant secretary of state for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, spoke about China’s growing efforts to suppress dissenting voices on American soil at an event hosted by the International Republican Institute. Rand highlighted China’s practice of transnational repression, targeting dissidents and political oppositionists both within and outside of China. She emphasized that this poses a significant danger to American taxpayers as it makes the United States fair game for China and others.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is known for using various tactics such as physical and digital threats, intimidation, coercion by proxy, technical espionage, and unexplained disappearances to carry out repression beyond its borders. The State Department published a report in April detailing these methods.
The Hong Kong Democracy Council (HKDC), a Washington-based advocacy group focused on Hong Kong democracy issues, commended Rand for speaking out against CCP’s transnational repression. However, HKDC expressed concern over the lack of consistent action from the U.S. government in countering these threats.
HKDC cited their recent report on attacks against peaceful protesters during CCP leader Xi Jinping’s visit to San Francisco last year as an example of CCP’s repression in the United States. The group found little response from the U.S. government despite evidence of attacks occurring while President Joe Biden and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo were present.
In their report, HKDC and Students for a Free Tibet (SFT) made several recommendations to combat transnational repression including passing legislation related to this issue and urging investigations into China’s united front groups.
The bipartisan SHIELD Against CCP Act (H.R. 9668) was advanced by the House Homeland Security Committee on September 25th with expectations that it will be passed after November elections.
The European Parliament also addressed CCP’s transnational repression in a resolution passed on October 10th which called for releasing arbitrarily detained individuals in China including Ilham Tohti and Gulshan Abbas while urging EU member states to address transnational repression within their territories.
Human Rights Watch published a report revealing that Chinese dissidents living in Japan are being surveilled and harassed by Chinese authorities who contact them or their relatives back home.
These instances highlight how China is exerting its influence beyond its borders through repressive measures targeting individuals critical of Beijing’s policies or actions.