Following recent articles by The New York Times that criticized Shen Yun Performing Arts, several well-known Chinese expat journalists residing in the United States have publicly refuted the accusations made by the newspaper. They have pointed out logical fallacies in the report and criticized its alignment with the Chinese communist regime.
The NY Times accused Shen Yun, a renowned dance and music company founded by followers of Falun Gong in 2006, of abuse based on negative comments from some former performers they interviewed. However, representatives from Shen Yun have stated that some of these disgruntled performers were let go for breaking rules or failing to meet artist standards. The report fails to include experiences from current performers with Shen Yun, and some former performers claim that their responses contradicting the claims were omitted by The NY Times.
Zhao Lanjian, a former investigative journalist from China who now resides in exile in the United States, responded to The NY Times articles on August 19th. He described them as a well-planned attack with ulterior motives and dismissed the claims as exaggerated accounts. Zhao is known for his investigative reports into human trafficking and abuse in China.
Hu Ping, a political commentator living in New York City, also responded to The NY Times report on X with an article he wrote 23 years ago about Falun Gong practitioners and medical treatment. He stated that his previous article already addressed the questions raised by The NY Times about Falun Gong.
Falun Gong is a meditative practice rooted in Buddhist traditions that involves exercises and moral teachings centered on truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance. It gained popularity quickly after its introduction in 1992.
Yu Jinshan, a senior journalist and former chairman of various associations related to Chinese culture in New York City, pointed out that injuries are common during art performances and sports activities. He questioned why The NY Times claimed Shen Yun performers were not treated for injuries when it is common sense for any performing arts group or sports team to provide medical care for their members.
Helen Chen, another senior journalist based in New York’s Chinatown for over four decades expressed her admiration for Shen Yun’s representation of traditional values during one of their shows. She criticized The NY Times for attacking both Shen Yun and Falun Gong instead of condemning CCP’s persecution against Falun Gong practitioners.
In conclusion (not included), it is evident that there are differing opinions regarding The New York Times’ reports on Shen Yun Performing Arts.