Florida marine scientist Sherwood Liu was alerted to a federal indictment when friends from out of state began messaging him. The indictment charged a man named Li Ping with spying for Beijing and accused him of sharing information about a Falun Gong practitioner in St. Petersburg with a Chinese intelligence officer. Liu, who is also involved with Falun Gong, realized that he could be the target of the alleged spy’s activities.
Falun Gong, a spiritual practice based on meditation and moral teachings, was once widely practiced in China but became an enemy of the state after the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) launched a persecution campaign against it in 1999. The CCP has since engaged in transnational repression to suppress Falun Gong practitioners around the world.
Liu has experienced firsthand the CCP’s efforts to monitor and intimidate dissidents like him. He has received threatening emails and even had an official show up at his family’s home in China demanding his phone number. Despite living in the United States, Liu still feels uneasy knowing that Chinese agents could be nearby, constantly monitoring his activities.
The CCP’s repression extends beyond surveillance and intimidation. It also involves physical attacks on Falun Gong practitioners both inside and outside of China. Freedom House documented 214 cases of direct physical attacks originating from China between 2014 and 2021.
In addition to these tactics, the CCP manipulates social media influencers and Western media outlets to spread disinformation about Falun Gong. It also exerts influence over American universities through student associations that report back to Chinese consulates or embassies.
The ultimate goal of these actions is not only to suppress Falun Gong but also to undermine democratic values globally as part of Beijing’s effort to establish its own authoritarian model as dominant worldwide.
The CCP’s persecution machinery operates through an intricate system that rewards police officers for making arrests, exploits prisoners as slave laborers, encourages citizens to spy on their neighbors, and uses incentives such as political cachet or financial rewards for those who carry out its agenda.
Researchers warn that this adaptive authoritarian model poses significant challenges for countries like the United States. They emphasize the need for a holistic defensive approach against Beijing’s transnational repression efforts because they view individuals targeted by the regime as resources for collecting information across various targets and priorities.
Despite facing constant threats from Chinese authorities both within their home country and abroad, individuals like Zhang continue speaking out against persecution because they believe it is essential to stand up for what is right.