The Chinese Communist Party is funding and organizing protests in New York through American citizens, including some who admit they don’t know what they’re demonstrating against.
At a Glance
- Protesters in New York, including non-Chinese Americans, are being paid to participate in demonstrations targeting Falun Gong practitioners and Shen Yun performances
- Some participants have admitted receiving $200 for their involvement while having limited knowledge of what they’re protesting
- Rep. Grace Meng and other New York politicians have received over $1 million in donations from CCP-linked groups since 1990
- The Justice Department has charged multiple donors to American politicians with acting as agents of the Chinese government
- The influence campaign has escalated following a 2022 directive from Chinese President Xi Jinping
Paid Protesters Emerge in New York
Recent investigations have uncovered a concerning pattern of Chinese Communist Party influence operations in New York City, featuring paid protesters targeting specific groups. These operations have evolved from using primarily Chinese nationals to now recruiting non-Chinese Americans to create the appearance of grassroots opposition to groups like Falun Gong practitioners and the Shen Yun Performing Arts company. One protester openly admitted to receiving $200 for participating in demonstrations, despite having limited understanding of what they were protesting against.
The use of paid protesters isn’t new in CCP influence operations. Similar tactics have been documented during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visits to the United States, where demonstrators were recruited to wave Chinese flags and drown out any potential critics. In Flushing, New York, a Chinese man admitted to investigators that he was being paid to distribute anti-Falun Gong materials, showing a clear pattern of financially incentivized propaganda efforts on American soil.
Political Influence Through Donations
The CCP’s influence extends beyond street demonstrations and into American politics. A Newsweek investigation revealed extensive donations to New York politicians from groups linked to the Chinese Communist Party’s United Front Work Department. These donations, totaling over $1 million since 1990, have flowed to various politicians including Hillary Clinton and Rep. Grace Meng, who once declared a “President An Quanzhong Day” while receiving donations from An, who is now charged with acting as a foreign agent for China.
“Here in the United States, the CCP’s united front proxies hijack our democratic process—claiming to represent American voters and providing donations—to influence our politicians. Without more caution about the united front, the CCP will continue to warp politicians’ understanding of China and stall our necessary responses to the CCP’s malign behavior.”, said Rep. Mike Gallagher.
The coordination of these donations appears strategic, with multiple principals from CCP-linked organizations donating on the same day to targeted politicians. Some of these groups have openly credited themselves with helping candidates like Rep. Meng and New York City Mayor Eric Adams win elections, demonstrating their perceived influence in American democratic processes. Politicians’ attendance at events hosted by these groups further strengthens their position and grants them additional political leverage.
Criminal Charges and Denial
The Justice Department has taken action against several individuals connected to these influence operations. Lu Jianwang, a donor to American politicians, was arrested for allegedly hosting a clandestine Chinese police station in Manhattan. The Chinese Embassy maintains there is no interference in U.S. affairs, with spokesperson Liu Pengyu claiming that “China has always adhered to the principle of non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs, and we have no interest in interfering in U.S. elections.”
“The purpose of using non-Chinese people makes it seem like it’s authentic and it’s grassroots,” she told The Epoch Times. “People are going to pay more attention.”, said Sarah Cook.
Despite mounting evidence, politicians who received donations from these sources have largely denied personal relationships with the charged donors. Rep. Meng and others have not committed to returning these donations, even as the connections between their donors and the Chinese government become increasingly clear. The situation represents an ongoing battle between democracy-minded Chinese Americans and those aligned with the Chinese Communist Party’s interests in the United States.
Escalating Campaign Against Specific Groups
Experts note that the campaign against Falun Gong and Shen Yun has intensified following a 2022 instruction from Xi Jinping. Shen Yun performances, which include content about the persecution of Falun Gong in China, have faced coordinated opposition, with Chinese diplomats reportedly pressuring theaters not to host their shows. The New York Times has published articles critical of Shen Yun that were subsequently cited by Chinese state media, showing the potential ripple effects of influence operations in mainstream Western media.
“It is almost certain that the protesters are being rewarded to—wittingly or unwittingly—act at the behest of the Chinese regime to demonize Shen Yun and Falun Gong on the streets of New York,” he said in a statement.”, said Levi Browde.
Investigators have identified specific individuals like Michael Chu and Liu Ningxiang in connection with organizing these protests, pointing to a structured network rather than spontaneous demonstrations.
The employment of Americans as the face of these protests represents a sophisticated evolution in CCP influence tactics, creating a facade of local opposition while obscuring the foreign origins of the campaign. This approach makes it increasingly difficult for average Americans to distinguish between genuine grassroots movements and foreign-directed influence operations.
