In a chilling development, newly leaked documents reveal that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is intensifying its long-standing persecution of Falun Gong by extending its reach beyond China’s borders, particularly within the U.S.
According to the findings, the CCP is mobilizing social media influencers, embedded spies, and a powerful state apparatus to smear Falun Gong and Shen Yun Performing Arts — a premier classical Chinese dance and music company based in New York. The aggressive strategies mark a significant escalation in the CCP’s 25-year effort to “fully eliminate Falun Gong worldwide.”
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Shifting gears
The leaked documents from China’s Ministry of Public Security (MPS) and other state entities outline a disturbing strategy to target Falun Gong and Shen Yun through disinformation and psychological manipulation. The goal? To deceive global internet users, spread falsehoods, and ultimately shut down Shen Yun.
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is an ancient Buddhist discipline that originated in China in the 1990s. After witnessing its rapid rise in popularity, which included high-ranking Party officials taking up the practice, the CCP launched a brutal campaign to eradicate Falun Gong from its borders. Since 1999, thousands of Falun Gong practitioners have perished at the hands of Chinese police, with the number continuing to rise.
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A central tactic in this reinvigorated campaign is the deployment of social media influencers who are backed by CCP resources. These influencers, often operating under the guise of independent commentators, are being tasked with spreading defamatory content about Falun Gong and Shen Yun. The CCP is reportedly also activating a network of embedded spies, including some within the Falun Gong community, to further destabilize and disrupt the group.
As stated in one of the leaked documents from June 2024, the CCP’s goal is clear: To eradicate Falun Gong worldwide and cause the closure of Shen Yun Performing Arts. This strategic shift not only demonstrates the regime’s prioritization of Falun Gong as a global target, but also highlights the lengths to which it is willing to go to achieve this goal.
According to the Falun Dafa Information Center, a U.S.-based organization that documents the ongoing persecution of Falun Gong adherents in China, the CCP’s intended goal with this new campaign is to “attract the continuous attention of the entire United States society and force the U.S. government to strike on all fronts, eliminating the force of Falun Gong.”
Multi-pronged attack
The CCP’s campaign is multi-faceted and meticulously planned, the report finds. Here is a breakdown of the tactics being employed:
- Amplifying disinformation: The Chinese regime is using its vast resources to support YouTubers who are at the forefront of recent online attacks against Falun Gong and Shen Yun. These influencers, backed by “50-cent party” accounts — paid commentators who promote CCP propaganda online — are disseminating content designed to discredit both groups.
- Activation of agents: The CCP is activating an extensive network of overseas agents, including those within the Falun Gong community. These agents are instructed to feed content to the influencers, spread falsehoods, provoke internal divisions within Falun Gong, and destabilize the group from within. The aim is to spread chaos and confusion and weaken Falun Gong’s global presence.
- Turning the U.S. government against Falun Gong: The CCP’s strategy also includes efforts to turn the U.S. government and American society against Falun Gong. By undermining the reputation of Falun Gong and Shen Yun, the regime hopes to provoke a crackdown on these organizations by the U.S. government.
Digital warfare
The most visible aspect of this campaign is the uptick in social media attacks against Falun Gong and Shen Yun. Starting in early 2024, these attacks have intensified, with Chinese-speaking YouTubers leading the charge. One such influencer, who previously worked for China Central Television (CCTV), has been publishing interviews with alleged former Shen Yun artists to spread false narratives that align closely with CCP propaganda.
Another influencer, based in the U.S., has taken an even more aggressive approach. Once a practitioner of Falun Gong, this individual’s rhetoric has shifted dramatically, now spewing threats and hate speech against the community he once belonged to. His behavior, including threats of violence against Shen Yun’s training center in New York, raises serious concerns about his potential ties to the CCP.
The leaked MPS documents explicitly mention these individuals, instructing cadres to “fully support” their efforts to attack Falun Gong and Shen Yun. This endorsement from the Chinese government underscores the seriousness of the threat posed by these social media influencers, who are acting as de facto agents of the CCP in its war on Falun Gong.
A thorn on the CCP’s side
Central to the CCP’s campaign is Shen Yun Performing Arts, a U.S.-based classical Chinese dance company founded by artists who fled persecution in China. Shen Yun’s performances, which showcase traditional Chinese culture, arts, and music, stand in stark contrast to the CCP’s vision of China — a vision that seeks to erase the country’s rich cultural and spiritual heritage in favor of communist ideology.
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But Shen Yun’s portrayal of China’s 5,000-year civilization, coupled with its depictions of modern-day tyranny under the CCP, has made it a prime target for the regime. The CCP sees Shen Yun as a direct threat to its narrative and has made it a priority to shut down the company’s global performances.
Shen Yun currently has eight-equally sized troupes that tour and perform around the world simultaneously. The company debuts a brand new production each year.
Why Shen Yun?
The CCP’s obsession with eradicating Shen Yun can be attributed to several factors:
- Cultural renaissance: Shen Yun represents a revival of traditional Chinese culture, which the CCP has spent decades trying to destroy. By promoting values and spirituality that challenge the CCP’s worldview, Shen Yun undermines the regime’s legitimacy.
- A vision of China without communism: Shen Yun’s performances offer a glimpse of a China free from the ravages of the CCP by presenting an alternative vision that resonates with audiences worldwide.
- Exposing tyranny and persecution: Shen Yun’s honest depiction of the CCP’s brutal rule threatens to unravel the carefully crafted narrative of a “peaceful China” under communist leadership.
The road ahead
As the CCP’s campaign against Falun Gong and Shen Yun escalates, it remains crucial for the international community, particularly the U.S., to recognize the severity of these threats. Immediate action is needed to counter these disinformation campaigns and protect the basic human rights of those targeted by the CCP’s aggressive suppression tactics, the report notes.
Social media platforms should also take steps to identify and dismantle CCP-backed disinformation networks, while U.S. government agencies can enforce laws regarding foreign agents operating on American soil. By doing so, the U.S. can help safeguard the freedoms that the CCP seeks to undermine, while ensuring that the voices of Falun Gong practitioners, Shen Yun performers, and other human rights’ activists continue to be heard.
“We are entering uncharted territory,” notes the Falun Dafa Information Center, adding that the CCP’s use of social media as a weapon represents a new and dangerous phase in its long-running persecution of Falun Gong.
