CCP Agents Sentenced as Transnational Repression Campaigns Continue

Dear Reader,

In November, U.S. courts sentenced two individuals to prison for acting as agents of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to target Falun Gong practitioners with surveillance and other sabotage efforts. These cases underscore the CCP’s persistent efforts to undermine freedoms abroad, even as U.S. authorities work to counter these operations. One agent, a longtime Verizon employee, was convicted of espionage activities, while another was caught attempting to bribe an IRS official to harm Shen Yun Performing Arts. Their convictions send a strong message but also serve as a reminder of the vigilance needed to safeguard democratic values.

Also in this issue:

• An elderly Falun Gong practitioner was left in a near-vegetative state after repeated abuse in Guangdong Women’s Prison.

• Pro-Beijing individuals disrupted peaceful Falun Gong appeals in Rio de Janeiro during the G20 Summit.

• New research highlights the close CCP ties of a state-run Chinese dance academy linked to propaganda efforts against Falun Gong and Shen Yun.

As we approach the holiday season, we also want to share the heartwarming story of Yolanda Yao’s reunion with her parents in California after years of separation due to the CCP’s persecution. Their journey from imprisonment and harassment to freedom reminds us of the resilience of families torn apart by the regime’s oppression.

Finally, don’t miss our featured video from an event at Harvard University, where Falun Dafa Information Center researcher Cynthia Sun shared stories of Falun Gong practitioners’ nonviolent resistance and their pursuit of freedom. These accounts inspire us to continue advocating for human rights and justice worldwide.

FEATURE STORY

John Chen (left) and Li Ping (right), two naturalized U.S. citizens, were sentenced to prison in November 2024 for conducting transnational repression operations targeting Falun Gong practitioners in the United States (Sources: Radio Free Asia, Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office)

What’s new?

In November, two naturalized U.S. citizens were sentenced to prison for acting as agents of the CCP in transnational repression operations targeting Falun Gong practitioners in the United States.

One of the individuals, Mr. Li Ping, a 59-year-old Florida resident and longtime Verizon employee, was sentenced to four years in prison on November 25. Li was convicted of assisting China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) in collecting intelligence on Chinese dissidents in the United States, including Falun Gong practitioners. He also provided cybersecurity training materials taken from his employer to the MSS.

The second individual, Mr. John Chen, 72, was sentenced to 20 months in prison for his role in a bribery scheme aimed at revoking the tax-exempt nonprofit status of Shen Yun Performing Arts, a classical Chinese dance company founded by Falun Gong practitioners. Between January 2023 and May 2023, Chen worked under the direction of a CCP official to bribe a purported IRS official with $50,000. Chen acted alongside Lin Feng, a Chinese national and U.S. permanent resident, who was sentenced to 16 months in prison on September 26, 2024.

Why does it matter?

By prosecuting and sentencing individuals acting on behalf of the CCP, U.S. authorities have shown a firm commitment to protecting freedoms and holding foreign operatives accountable. However, the incident also highlights the ongoing need for vigilance, as the CCP continues to adapt its tactics to target communities like Falun Gong through intimidation, disinformation, and harassment. Ensuring that such campaigns are consistently exposed and countered are critical in safeguarding democratic principles and the rights of those who speak out against oppression.

What else do you need to know?

These cases reflect the Chinese regime’s broader transnational repression campaign targeting Falun Gong practitioners. Recent incidents documented in the Falun Dafa Information Center’s Incident Tracker include threats against a survivor of forced organ harvesting in the United States and coordinated harassment of practitioners abroad. Leaked CCP meeting notes outline the regime’s plans for these operations, which aim to silence dissent and undermine advocacy through intimidation and disinformation.

In addition to direct harassment, the CCP spreads propaganda to discredit Falun Gong and manipulate international public opinion, making it harder for governments and institutions to resist its influence.

PERSECUTION IN CHINA

Ms. Yao Jingjiao, an 85-year-old woman from Jieyang City, Guangdong Province, has been left in a near-vegetative state after enduring brutal treatment in Guangdong Women’s Prison. According to reports from her family, Ms. Yao was repeatedly beaten, tortured, and subjected to forced drug administration for refusing to renounce Falun Gong. The abuse has caused severe brain damage, leaving her unable to speak or move on her own. Despite her deteriorating health, prison officials detained her for over 15 months and denied her urgent surgery.

Ms. Yao was arrested in June 2020 with nine others who were gathered to read Falun Gong spiritual texts. Police also arrested eight other Falun Gong practitioners in Jieyang City who were in contact with these individuals. In November 2022, the Jiedong District Court sentenced Ms. Yao to three years in prison and imposed a 30,000-yuan fine. Family members were denied visits for months before finally being allowed to see her deteriorated condition.

TRANSNATIONAL REPRESSION

During the recent G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, pro-Beijing individuals obstructed Brazilian Falun Gong practitioners who were peacefully demonstrating for an end to the Chinese regime’s human rights abuses against Falun Gong. On November 17, 2024, the peaceful protestors held banners alongside the road and waited for the Chinese delegation to pass. As the delegation was arriving, a group of individuals carrying huge Chinese flags interrupted their activities, shouting slogans and attempting to block their banners. The next day, CCP supporters also surrounded seven Brazilian practitioners at a petition booth at the tourist-frequented Copacabana Beach.

CCP INFLUENCE

In recent weeks, the Falun Dafa Information Center has conducted research into the Beijing Dance Academy (BDA) and its ties to the CCP. At first glance, this may appear unrelated to the regime’s persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. In fact, individuals with ties to BDA have emerged in recent months as the source of information aimed at maligning Falun Gong and Shen Yun Performing Arts, a classical Chinese dance company most of whose performers practice Falun Gong.

Notably, a small number of former Shen Yun performers, many who have developed subsequent links to BDA, have been a primary source of misleading claims about the company published by the New York Times since August 2024.

As part of the Center’s ongoing analysis of inaccuracies and seemingly deliberate omissions in that reporting, we decided to look more deeply at BDA, discovering that the educational institution is deeply embedded with the CCP: 10 out of 11 people on the school’s leadership team simultaneously hold positions on its party committee. However, this reality is obscured in its English-language website compared to its Chinese version.

Ms. Liang Xin, Yolanda Yao, and Mr. Yao Guofu spend their first holidays together in California in 2023. (Courtesy of Yolanda Yao)

As we celebrate the holiday season, we want to highlight the story of Yolanda Yao’s family. Yolanda, a California resident featured in the Falun Dafa Information Center’s family rescue campaign since 2017, reunited with her parents, Mr. Yao Guofu and Mrs. Liang Xin, after nine years in 2023. From 2015 through 2020, the elderly couple was imprisoned and tortured for their faith in Falun Gong and for possessing informational materials about the practice and persecution. After the couple was released in June 2020, police in Henan Province continued to harass and threaten Mr. Yao and Mrs. Liang, even barricading their front door to stop the couple from raising awareness about the persecution. 

After facing intense harassment and house arrest during the 20th Party Congress in October 2022, Mr. Yao and Mrs. Liang decided to flee China for the United States. They successfully reunited with their daughter in early 2023. During their time in custody, groups like Freedom House, Amnesty International, as well as U.S. congressional commissions such as the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, and the US Commission on International Religious Freedom also advocated for their release. 

At an event hosted by the Falun Dafa Club at Harvard University, Falun Dafa Information Center researcher Cynthia Sun shared her personal experiences and research on the CCP’s persecution of Falun Gong. She highlighted how Falun Gong practitioners in the United States and around the world are targeted through surveillance, harassment, and disinformation campaigns designed to undermine their freedoms and safety.

Cynthia also detailed how Falun Gong practitioners have responded to the Chinese regime’s campaign through nonviolent resistance. From sharing information through encrypted messages in China to raising awareness globally, their efforts have inspired a global movement of Chinese individuals quitting the CCP and its affiliated organizations to distance themselves from the regime’s atrocities.