Recently, touring companies of the New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts have been subjected to false bomb threats likely made by agents of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in multiple countries. Due to safety concerns, some theaters, such as in Toronto, have been forced to cancel performances.
Shen Yun, acclaimed globally for its authentic showcasing of classical Chinese dance, reaches an audience of over 1 million annually, but is barred from performing in mainland China, where the communist authorities maintain strict control over the media and artistic expression.
In Japan, which shares many ancient cultural ties with China, lawmakers have spoken out to support Shen Yun and condemn Beijing’s attempts to shut it down.
Shen Yun threatens the CCP’s ‘justification for its rule’
On April 4, a member of Japan’s National Diet who attended a performance by the New York–based Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Shinjuku Cultural Center in Tokyo stated that the CCP’s transnational repression targeting the dance company and Falun Gong reflects the regime’s fear and that the rest of the world will not allow it to succeed.
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House of Councillors Member Hiroshi Yamada, a member of Japan’s ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party, said that Shen Yun’s theme of “China before communism” presents an alternative interpretation of Chinese culture and identity, making it a natural target for the dictatorial CCP.
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For the Communist Party, allowing Shen Yun to perform freely “would mean losing their legitimacy, or the justification for its rule,” he said.
“Since their system does not continue from the past, they do not value [Chinese] history and in fact deny it. If people come to realize this, it becomes clear that such a regime lacks legitimacy. In that sense, I believe the CCP is extremely antagonistic toward this kind of performance and the message it carries,” he said, speaking with overseas Chinese broadcaster NTD Television.
Yamada called for resistance to Beijing’s transnational repression on multiple fronts.
“First, it is important for people to take an interest and talk about it with many others. I believe members of the media have a duty to convey these facts to the world. In the political sphere, it is important to continue raising our voices against what the Chinese Communist Party is doing.”
He also took aim at the CCP’s crimes of forced organ harvesting, which targets the Falun Gong faith group, as well as others deemed enemies of the communist regime. Shen Yun was founded and is operated by Falun Gong adherents who emigrated to or were born in the United States.
“Furthermore, countries around the world need to move forward with using laws to restrict and prohibit organ transplants taking place in China,” Yamada urged.
‘I hope that China will see a renaissance’
Former House of Representatives member Hiroshi Nakatsugawa also stated that the CCP’s transnational repression must never be tolerated.
“When I was in the National Diet, I received calls saying Shen Yun might be obstructed and unable to perform,” Mr. Nakatsugawa recalled. “I contacted as many people as I could, and in the end, the performance went ahead.”
He expressed confidence that the CCP’s actions would not succeed in suppressing independence voices such as Shen Yun. “In the end, freedom, democracy, and human rights will prevail — and so will the efforts of Falun Gong practitioners.”
Councillor Yamada also expressed hope that Shen Yun would help revive traditional Chinese culture.
“China truly has a long, continuous cultural history, but under the communist regime, much of that culture has been lost, which I find deeply regrettable. Communism is a political movement that denies the past, and I believe it is harmful to both history and humanity. I hope that China, with its long history, will see a renaissance in the near future.”
