Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was evacuated from the official residence in Canberra earlier this week after authorities received a bomb threat. He is one of six national leaders named in a series of threatening emails demanding that Shen Yun Performing Arts cancel its tour.
The messages warned that if performances continued, violent attacks would be carried out against the leaders and senior officials of their countries.
Since January 2026, Chinese-language emails have been sent to Shen Yun-related contacts. Those named in the threats include Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Screenshots circulated by organizers show similar wording across the emails. All were written in Chinese and called for performances to be canceled.
One Feb. 10 email stated that if a performance went ahead, “the Canadian prime minister will be in trouble.” It referenced the safety of senior officials in Canada.
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A Jan. 8 message targeting President Lai stated that “the possibility of shooting Lai Ching-te cannot be ruled out.” It threatened to drive an SUV loaded with explosives into Taiwan’s Presidential Office.
An email directed at Prime Minister Frederiksen warned that Danish officials would “pay the price” if performances continued.
The Australian Federal Police confirmed they are investigating a February 22 email claiming explosives had been placed at the prime minister’s residence and threatening to “blow it into ruins.”
Queensland police also investigated a bomb threat targeting a Gold Coast venue hosting Shen Yun. Staff were temporarily evacuated.
Authorities later determined the threats were false. No injuries were reported.
Shen Yun is headquartered in New York and was founded by practitioners of Falun Dafa. The company presents classical Chinese dance and music and states that its mission is to portray “China before communism.” It was established in 2006 and tours globally each year.
The Falun Dafa Information Center said similar threats began about two years ago and now total more than 130 incidents. According to the center, early threats targeted performers and training facilities. Later incidents referenced U.S. lawmakers, the White House, and performance venues.
Last year, a threat led to the evacuation of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, now renamed the Trump Kennedy Center.
Taiwanese authorities said an investigation traced some emails to Xi’an, China. Officials identified a Huawei research facility as a suspected source. Huawei has previously been placed on a U.S. blacklist over national security concerns.
Australian security personnel searched the prime minister’s residence and confirmed no explosives were present.
Lucy Zhao, president of the Falun Dafa Association of Australia, said the threats directed at elected leaders raise national security issues. She called on governments to respond.
At a press briefing in Beijing, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said he was “not aware of the specific situation” when asked about the threats against the Australian prime minister. He criticized Shen Yun and Falun Gong. Video of the exchange remains on the Facebook page of the Chinese Embassy in Australia. Portions were not included in the ministry’s website transcript.
Shen Yun officials said performances would proceed. Ying Chen, conductor of the Shen Yun Orchestra and vice president of the company, said the organization would not cancel its tour.
Australian lawmaker Barnaby Joyce condemned intimidation directed at religious practitioners.
Lyle Shelton, chairman of Australia’s Family First Party, said the threats should be investigated and referenced prior statements from Chinese consulates in Sydney and Melbourne discouraging attendance at Shen Yun performances.
In Denmark, lawmakers criticized statements from the Chinese embassy urging people not to attend. Danish People’s Party member Mikkel Bjorn rejected what he described as external directives. Liberal Party member Kim Valentin and Carl Andersen of the Danish Liberal Alliance called for intelligence agencies to examine the matter.
Graeme Kearns, chief executive of Sydney-based Foundation Theatres, told The Guardian that performances would not be canceled. Shen Yun is scheduled to stage 11 performances at the Sydney Lyric Theatre from March 20 to 29.
The Falun Dafa Association in Australia called for a federal investigation. According to the association, no performances have been canceled and no casualties have occurred.
On Feb. 26, Shen Yun New Era Arts Company reported that a performance at the Gold Coast Arts Centre was sold out. Additional shows were nearing capacity.
Canadian Chinese writer Sheng Xue, global vice president of the Federation for a Democratic China, said Shen Yun presents traditional Chinese culture prior to the Chinese Communist Party’s rule. She said this challenges the Party’s claim to represent Chinese civilization.
Sheng Xue also referenced persecution of Falun Gong since 1999, including allegations of organ harvesting. She said Shen Yun programs address aspects of that persecution through artistic presentation.
Shen Yun marks its 20th anniversary in 2026. Eight companies are touring simultaneously worldwide.
Commentator Tang Hao said audiences can evaluate the performance by attending in person.
By Jin Yan
