In a decisive move to counter Beijing’s efforts to stifle dissent and influence beyond its borders, U.S. President Joe Biden unveiled the creation of a task force to combat the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) censorship and harassment efforts within the U.S.
Announced on Dec. 12, the “China Censorship Monitor and Action Group” signals a robust response to the CCP’s growing transnational repression, which human rights groups have labeled one of the most sophisticated and widespread campaigns in the world aimed at silencing critics and extending censorship.
“This is a good start,” said Michael Sobolik, senior fellow in the Indo-Pacific Studies at the American Foreign Policy Council, on social media platform X (previously known as Twitter). “The Trump administration should continue this task force — with one additional (and very important) change. Trump should expand the group’s parameters to examine CCP censorship not only within America but also within China. That’s where the party’s fears about free speech are greatest. It’s where the CCP is weakest.”
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The task force will operate under the executive office and be co-led by the assistant to the president for National Security Affairs and the director of the National Economic Council. Its mission is to develop a comprehensive strategy to address and monitor the CCP’s efforts to silence critics within the U.S. This includes safeguarding the free speech rights of individuals and businesses — even those conducting operations within China’s borders.
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According to the memorandum issued by President Biden, the task force will consist of representatives from multiple federal departments and agencies. It will also solicit input from the private sector and media stakeholders on a consulting capacity. In addition, the group will be tasked with delivering an annual report to the president and congressional committees by offering insights and updates on the CCP’s activities as well as the task force’s countermeasures.
A growing threat
In recent years, the CCP has increasingly targeted critics residing abroad by seeking to expand its censorship mechanisms to suppress dissenting voices and marginalized groups including Tibetans, Uyghur Muslims, and Falun Gong practitioners. These tactics include threats, espionage, and economic coercion aimed at individuals, organizations, and even American businesses.
A particularly alarming example involves the CCP’s attempt to stifle Shen Yun Performing Arts, a nonprofit company that has consistently exposed Beijing’s human rights abuses. Founded in 2006 and based in New York, Shen Yun is the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company — showcasing 5,000 years of traditional Chinese culture and heritage in a brand new production each year.
In one recent case, John Chen, a 72-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen, was sentenced to 20 months in prison for attempting to bribe the IRS to revoke Shen Yun’s nonprofit status. Chen acted under the direction of a Chinese intelligence official in a $50,000 scheme designed to curtail the group’s operations.
Shen Yun has also received bomb threats in addition to seeing two of its tour buses deliberately vandalized by having its tires’ slashed. On March 26, the company’s headquarters received a series of emails claiming that mass shootings and detonations of “multiple C4 plastic bombs” would take place at Dragon Springs to help the CCP “get rid of traitors.”
MORE ON THIS: Communist China Ramps Up Efforts to Intimidate Shen Yun With Sabotage, Unhinged Threats of Violence
Congressional leaders have been vocal about these troublesome activities by highlighting their implications to U.S. sovereignty and national security. “Beijing has continually encroached upon American sovereignty to spy, intimidate, and harass not only defectors, but even American citizens,” said Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.), chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security (CHS). “To be clear, our adversary is not the Chinese people, but the threat that comes from the tyrannical regime that oppresses its own people, commits genocide, censors speech, and seeks to undermine representative government.”
The CHS has also documented numerous cases of the CCP’s transnational repression, including surveillance of Chinese students studying abroad and threats against their families, underscore the need for urgent stronger countermeasures. The newly established task force represents a critical step in addressing this challenge head-on.
A coordinated approach
In addition to the China Censorship Monitor and Action Group, Biden announced the creation of a “Countering Economic Coercion Task Force.” This initiative is aimed at responding to coercive economic practices employed by foreign powers, including China.
The task force’s mandate includes developing an integrated strategy to deter economic intimidation tactics, such as leveraging trade restrictions or financial penalties to influence political decisions or silence dissent. This move aligns with the requirements of the National Defense Authorization Act for the last fiscal year, which Biden signed into law last December.
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The establishment of these task forces highlights the Biden administration’s commitment to addressing human rights abuses and protecting U.S. sovereignty. By targeting the CCP’s transnational repression and economic coercion, the administration is laying the groundwork for a coordinated response to multifaceted threats and tactics.
“To be clear, our adversary is not the Chinese people, but the threat that comes from the tyrannical regime that oppresses its own people,” said Rep. Green, reiterating the distinction between the CCP and the broader Chinese population.
