Taiwanese researcher Yu Hsueh-li has mapped the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) overseas united front network. While recently testifying in Florida—former President Trump’s political base—she said the CCP uses united front–linked organizations to approach political figures. Florida alone has more than 30 such entities, aimed at influencing public opinion and policymaking. She called for the creation of a foreign agents registration system to expose these relationships.
Yu Hsueh-li (phonetic transliteration: Cheryl Yu) is a graduate of National Chengchi University and currently a China analyst at the Washington-based think tank The Jamestown Foundation. On Jan. 29, she testified before the Florida House of Representatives’ Government Operations Subcommittee, alongside former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues Kelley Currie and others, in support of the “Foreign Interference Restrictions and Enforcement” bill.
Due to the sensitivity of her research and concerns for the personal safety of her family in Taiwan, Yu is temporarily withholding her legal name.
She first explained to state legislators the concept of “united front work,” describing it as a weapon built by the CCP that contains networks of so-called “friends,” designed to undermine an adversary’s positions. Specifically, it seeks to weaken, infiltrate, and control the United States from within, enabling China to realize its global ambitions and replace the U.S. as the dominant power in the international order.
Yu said that in an upcoming Jamestown Foundation report, she identified more than 2,000 organizations linked to the CCP’s overseas united front system across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Germany. Nearly half operate within the U.S., with at least 30 based in Florida.
Success
You are now signed up for our newsletter
Success
Check your email to complete sign up
She noted that the CCP uses these networks to build connections, shape public opinion, and influence local decision-making. One example is a united front–linked Chinese organization in Florida that maintains ties with local politicians. “Individuals and organizations like these serve as nodes in a broader network,” she said, “to identify, approach, and build relationships with officials the CCP considers important.”
Yu stressed that the importance of the “Foreign Interference Restrictions and Enforcement” bill lies in its authorization of a foreign agents registration system, which would increase transparency in the political sphere. It would ensure that when individuals or organizations act on behalf of a concerning foreign power, policymakers and the public clearly understand that relationship.
She also highlighted the bill’s prohibition on accepting gifts, noting that united front and infiltration operations rarely begin with direct demands, but instead start with seemingly harmless favors, such as sponsored trips or funding.
The bill requires individuals or organizations acting on behalf of China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, Qatar, and Syria to register with the elections authority, disclose their activities and sources of funding, and bars public officials, civil servants, and candidates from accepting anything of value from these countries.
It also prohibits these foreign powers from controlling or accessing critical infrastructure such as power plants, refineries, and ports, and abolishes the Florida-China Linkage Institute.
The bill passed a House committee by a vote of 17–0 and must still be reviewed by two additional committees. The Senate version also requires review by two committees.
Trump became the first U.S. president to enter the White House with Florida—the “Sunshine State”—as his political base. Several Floridians have also joined the Cabinet, including former Florida Senator Marco Rubio as Secretary of State, and Susie Wiles, a veteran of Florida political campaigns, as White House chief of staff—significantly boosting Florida’s political stature.
