Exporting Repression: Attacks on Protesters During Xi Jinping's Visit to San Francisco in November 2023
Aug 02, 2024
Epoch Times, August 1, 2024 (Reported by Lin Dan, New York) - The U.S. House of Representatives’ “Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party” (The Select Committee on the CCP) on July 31 shared a comprehensive and detailed report concerning the attacks on protesters during Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping’s visit to San Francisco in November last year. The report highlights that these violent attacks and harassment incidents against individuals protesting against the CCP represent a blatant export of transnational repression (TNR) by the Chinese Communist Party on U.S. soil. The report emphasizes that such actions pose a direct threat to freedom worldwide and calls for urgent U.S. measures to counter the CCP’s transnational repression.
The report, titled “Exporting Repression: Attacks on Protesters During Xi Jinping’s Visit to San Francisco in November 2023,” was jointly published by the Hong Kong Democracy Council and Students for a Free Tibet. It provides a detailed review of 34 incidents of harassment, intimidation, and attacks by CCP supporters against Chinese, Hong Kong, Tibetan, and Uyghur protesters from November 14 to 17, 2023, during Xi Jinping’s visit to San Francisco for the “Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit” (APEC) and his meeting with U.S. President Biden. The evidence comes from testimonies of 26 protesters and a journalist who were present, as well as video and photo evidence provided by protesters. Additionally, media reports and social media posts also contributed to the findings.
The report reveals the CCP’s “United Front” system’s mobilization and involvement in the U.S., where, in many cases, individuals associated with the CCP’s United Front organizations were present during the attacks, intimidation, and harassment, with some actively participating. This constitutes part of the CCP’s transnational repression. The report also documents the coordination among CCP supporters, detailing their planned direction and strategies for the attacks. Their actions created an atmosphere of widespread intimidation, not only threatening the protest activities but also infringing upon the protesters’ rights to free speech.
Overview of Attacks on Protesters
CCP supporters from Northern California, Southern California, New York, Oregon, Seattle, and Philadelphia were mobilized and transported to San Francisco to “welcome” Xi Jinping. This task was framed as a “glorious patriotic duty,” with United Front groups and their leaders being mobilized. Chinese students from universities in the Bay Area and other parts of California were recruited through “Chinese Students and Scholars Associations” (CSSA) chapters closely connected to the Chinese consulate.
The large number of mobilized CCP supporters served to marginalize and overwhelm the protesters. Flags and flagpoles were used as weapons against the protesters—flags were often used to block protesters from being seen by others, and flagpoles were frequently used to stab and beat the protesters.
Protesters interviewed for the report often expressed the impression that the actions of CCP supporters were highly planned and coordinated.
The report records 34 incidents of harassment, intimidation, and attacks on protesters, including threats, attempts to block protests, physical assaults, beatings, phone thefts, and stalking. According to the FBI’s definition of transnational repression—”when a foreign government tracks, intimidates, or attacks people on U.S. soil”—many or all of these actions fit this description, as they were carried out by individuals engaged in coordinated actions in San Francisco.
Most of the harassment, intimidation, and attacks occurred in locations where Xi Jinping was present or expected to be, particularly near San Francisco International Airport on November 14 when he arrived, and again on November 17 when he departed; as well as three downtown locations: outside the St. Regis Hotel, where the Chinese delegation stayed; outside the Hyatt Regency Hotel, where Xi Jinping attended a banquet hosted by U.S. business groups; and outside the Moscone Center, the APEC summit venue.
Mobilization by CCP United Front Organizations: “Expenses Covered by the Consulate”
Screenshots of text messages (WeChat) reveal that the Chinese consulate mobilized individuals to go to San Francisco and clarified that “all expenses would be covered.” For example, a message sent to “executive committee members” stated: “Just received a notice from the Los Angeles consulate that Xi Dada will visit the U.S. from the 13th to the 17th next week, and USC CSSA students are invited to go to San Francisco to greet him + attend events.”
The message sent to the USC CSSA was also forwarded to members of the CSSA at UCLA, stating: “Just received notice from the Los Angeles consulate… all travel, accommodation, and meal expenses will be covered by the consulate.”
The CSSA is controlled, funded, or closely monitored by the Chinese consulate. The U.S. State Department has previously stated that the CSSA was established by the CCP to monitor Chinese students and mobilize them to oppose viewpoints that differ from the CCP’s stance.
According to Chinese-language media reports favorable to the CCP, 16 to 20 buses transported approximately 800 CCP supporters from Southern California to San Francisco. Each bus rental cost at least $5,000 per day. At least 400 hotel rooms were booked across five different hotels, each costing at least $150 per night. It is estimated that the entire mobilization from Southern California alone cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Nearly 1,000 CCP supporters were transported from New York and other areas to San Francisco. The report estimates that up to 10,000 CCP supporters from various regions gathered in San Francisco.
United Front groups that traveled to San Francisco included: the National Chinese Association (Southern California Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association/American Southern California Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association), the Los Angeles Chinatown Coalition (Chinese American Unity Association), the Southern California Taishan Association; and others such as the Philadelphia Fujian Association, the American Lianjiang Association, and the American Fujian Association.
Specific Cases of Attacks
Chronological overview of harassment, intimidation, and attack incidents:
- November 11: Threats were made against activists before Xi Jinping’s arrival; examples include threats against dissident Yao Cheng, Uyghur groups, and Hong Kong Democracy Council Executive Director Anna Kwok.
- November 12-14: Mobilization and transportation of CCP supporters;
- November 14: Xi Jinping arrives at San Francisco International Airport; CCP protesters are harassed and intimidated at the airport and along the motorcade route, with attacks occurring outside the St. Regis Hotel where the Chinese delegation stayed;
- November 15: Protesters are attacked again outside the St. Regis Hotel; multiple attacks by pro-CCP individuals occur outside the Hyatt Regency Hotel, where a banquet was held for Xi Jinping;
- November 16: Multiple attacks on protesters occur near the Moscone Center, where Xi Jinping attended the APEC summit;
- November 17: Multiple attacks on protesters occur at San Francisco International Airport as Xi Jinping departs.
For example, on November 15, a Tibetan protester unfurled a protest banner from several stories high, only to have the banner violently ripped down. The protester was nearly pulled off the side of the building, risking a fatal fall. Confronting the attackers, the protester shouted, “I almost died because of you!” The protester had to free his hands from the banner ropes, allowing the banner to drop. When they found the banner on the ground and attempted to unfurl it again, they were attacked by 15 masked men. One of the attackers was seen with anti-Falun Gong activist Li Huahong on November 14.
On November 16, Chen Chuangchuang, Executive Director of the China Democracy Party and a lawyer, was pepper-sprayed. The day before, his glasses had been knocked off and trampled by pro-CCP individuals.
On November 16, protester Peng Xiaowei had his phone stolen. The next day, he discovered that photos and videos from the 16th had been deleted from his cloud storage. On the 22nd, the phone’s location showed it was in Hong Kong, and it was later traced to Shenzhen, China.
November 17, Friday, on the fourth day of Xi’s visit:
- Tibetan protester Chemi Lhamo was surrounded, harassed, intimidated, and beaten, and her phone was stolen;
- Tibetan protester Topjor Tsultrim was attacked;
- Hong Kong protester Liu Jiawen was attacked;
- Hong Kong protester Kennedy Wong was attacked;
- Two 19-year-old Tibetan teens were beaten, one phone was stolen and damaged, and another phone was lost;
- KTSF Channel 26 reporter S. from San Francisco was intimidated, and their phone was stolen;
- China Democracy Party member Zhang Kaiyu and Hong Kong protester Chow Kai-hong were attacked. Zhang Kaiyu was followed by several attackers with red armbands and red headbands and was severely beaten at a gas station near the airport.
Anti-Falun Gong Leader Directed Attacks
Among the injured protesters, Heilongjiang petitioner Jia Junwei identified Li Huahong, founder of the “Global Chinese Anti-Cult Alliance” (CACWA), as the main attacker on November 14, the first day of Xi Jinping’s visit to San Francisco. Jia claimed that Li Huahong snatched her banner, dragged her into a circle of CCP flags, pulled her hair, and struck her head. After Jia fell, Li kicked her in the waist.
Jia accused Li Huahong of leading the attack. Li Huahong was wearing a vest with the “Global Chinese Anti-Cult Alliance” logo while holding a loudspeaker.
Li Huahong also participated in other attacks in the following days. On November 15, outside the Hyatt Regency Hotel, where a banquet was held for Xi Jinping, Li was with a group of CCP supporters, some of whom later attacked protesters.
On November 16, Chen Chuangchuang, the leader of the China Democracy Party and a CCP protester, was suddenly pepper-sprayed by an attacker. Before the attack, Chen had noticed Li Huahong and recognized her because they both lived in New York City’s Chinese community.
Chen reported that on November 15, Li Huahong chatted with someone in Chen’s group, not knowing that person was a protester. She told this person that her daily wage in San Francisco was about $200, and after “welcoming Xi Jinping” on November 14, she enjoyed a lobster dinner.
On November 15, a man wearing a CACWA vest jacket was involved in the attack on Tibetan protesters in the parking lot across from the Hyatt Regency Hotel.
On November 15, attacks on Tibetan and Hong Kong protesters occurred across the street from the Hyatt Regency Hotel, with a CACWA banner hanging on a nearby barrier. (Earlier report: Inside story: Li Huahong’s operating funds in the U.S. provided by Tianjin Political and Legal Affairs Commission)
On November 16, petitioner Ge Kaiying said she was attacked by Li Huahong on Fourth Street in downtown San Francisco around noon. Ge was alone at the time. Li had recognized her from earlier protests. Ge said Li stepped on her foot and then snatched her suitcase. When Ge tried to retrieve her belongings, Li hit her.
Organizers, Attackers, and Their Connection to the CCP
The report points out that the CCP uses mainland fellow associations and other “United Front groups” to carry out transnational repression—outsourcing repression activities. The CCP’s embassies and consulates have clear and documented connections with these overseas United Front groups.
Additionally, while pro-CCP groups gathered to “welcome Xi Jinping” under the guise of “patriotic” support for China and safeguarding U.S.-China relations, their actual motivation also included suppressing any protests, leading to repression actions, including harassment, intimidation, and attacks.
Two prominent leaders in organizing, mobilizing, and transporting CCP supporters to San Francisco were Lu Qiang, founder of the Southern California Chinese Association, and John Chen from New York.
Lu Qiang has served as a member of the Overseas Committee of the Shanghai Overseas Chinese Federation and was invited to attend the CPPCC conference. In September 2023—two months before Xi Jinping’s visit to San Francisco—he attended the 11th “National Congress of Returned Overseas Chinese and Relatives” held in Beijing. Leveraging his travel agency resources, Lu transported 16 to 20 buses of CCP supporters to San Francisco. He and hundreds of other supporters were also part of the welcoming team for Xi.
John Chen, chairman of the “United Federation of Asian Communities in America,” played a leading role in mobilizing CCP supporters in New York. A few days before heading to San Francisco, Chen met with the Deputy Consul General of the Chinese Consulate in New York, Wu Xiaoming. Chen is also a key organizer of welcoming CCP leaders in New York and protesting the transit of Taiwanese leaders through the U.S.
Among the attackers, Li Huahong had previously been convicted for attacking Falun Gong practitioners. She is the founder and leader of the “Global Chinese Anti-Cult Alliance” (CACWA), which is a branch or affiliated organization of the “China Anti-Cult Association” (CACA). The CACA is “closely connected to the CCP and is typically regarded as part of its apparatus.” According to the Human Rights Law Foundation, “CACWA’s chairman and affiliates have been involved in multiple incidents of violence, death threats, and property damage against Falun Gong practitioners…”
Li and other CACWA members were convicted in 2013 for attacking Falun Gong practitioners and individuals associated with Falun Gong in New York in 2011. (Earlier report: Falun Gong practitioners attacked in Flushing; Li Huahong convicted)
18 Recommendations for the U.S. to Combat CCP’s Transnational Repression
The report makes 18 recommendations to the White House, relevant federal agencies, Congress, state and local authorities, and the United Nations to prevent and combat transnational repression, protect protesters and human rights defenders’ rights, and hold those responsible for transnational repression accountable. These include:
- Investigate whether these CCP United Front organizations in the U.S. are unregistered foreign agents of the People’s Republic of China, in violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
- Implement additional scrutiny on the issuance of diplomatic visas to Chinese applicants, and screen applicants associated with transnational repression activities.
- Provide protection to groups targeted by transnational repression, including expediting asylum applications and upgrading the existing Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) program for Hong Kongers to Temporary Protected Status (TPS).
- Pass legislation to create resources for combating transnational repression, such as the Transnational Repression Policy Act (HR 3654/S.831), the Stop Transnational Repression Act (HR 5907), the 2024 Combating Transnational Repression Act (HR 7443), the Law Enforcement Support Act, the Transnational Repression Hotline Act (HR 7433), and the Strengthening State and Local Combating Transnational Repression Actions Act (HR 7439).
- Conduct due diligence on the backgrounds of some Asian groups.
Limitations and Challenges in the U.S.’s Efforts to Combat CCP’s Transnational Repression
The report reviews the actions taken by the U.S. government to combat CCP’s transnational repression before November 2023. While acknowledging that the U.S. has prioritized combating transnational repression as a national security and human rights issue—evidenced in statements found in the National Security Strategy, the Department of Justice’s strategy to address nation-state threats, the FBI’s webpage on transnational repression, the Declaration of Principles to Combat Transnational Repression at the 2023 Summit for Democracy, and other official documents—there are limitations and challenges:
The U.S. lacks specific laws to criminalize transnational repression. FBI officials have indicated that gaps in U.S. law limit the Bureau’s ability to combat transnational repression. Additionally, no “whole-of-government” definition of “transnational repression” has been established by government agencies or legislative bodies.
The report argues that there is a lack of coordination between federal, state, and local authorities. While federal authorities and officials are aware of the problem and concept of transnational repression, local authorities and officials, who are often the first to encounter victims of transnational repression, have not received training on how to handle it, nor do they have the capacity to address it. As a result, transnational repression cases are sometimes treated as “ordinary” crimes without identifying the actual or potential involvement of foreign actors, including foreign governments.
The report states that it is clear that combating transnational repression—particularly by the CCP—is a top priority for federal authorities, but so far, they have remained silent on the harassment, intimidation, and attacks on protesters during Xi Jinping’s visit to San Francisco. Furthermore, although the U.S. government has prioritized combating transnational repression, the awareness and preparedness of San Francisco law enforcement authorities seem insufficient.
Statement by the Select Committee on the CCP
John Moolenaar, chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives’ “Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party,” issued a statement regarding this comprehensive and detailed report:
“The CCP-directed attacks on human rights activists during Xi Jinping’s visit to San Francisco last November were a shameless violation of U.S. sovereignty and the values we hold dear. Such atrocities—also known as transnational repression—have no place in the United States. I thank the Hong Kong Democracy Council and Students for a Free Tibet for reporting on these horrific events and urge the FBI and the San Francisco Police Department to hold the perpetrators accountable. Congress must also act to give law enforcement more tools to prosecute these crimes. We cannot allow the CCP to bring its Orwellian model of totalitarian control to American soil.”
Read the full report: https://ccpexportingrepression.com/
Editor: Sun Yun