Washington: US lawmakers, state officials and democracy activists have accused the Chinese government of expanding efforts to intimidate, surveil and silence critics living in the United States. The concerns were raised during a hearing of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), held on the 37th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown.
Opening the hearing, Chris Smith alleged that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) employs tactics such as detaining relatives in China, online harassment, spyware, deepfakes, Hong Kong arrest bounties and even illegal overseas police stations to target dissidents abroad. He said Beijing’s repression has extended beyond its borders and declared that the memory of Tiananmen “cannot be erased.”
Co-chair Jim McGovern described China as a leading perpetrator of transnational repression, citing data from Freedom House that recorded 319 incidents since 2014. He urged Congress to pass the proposed Transnational Repression Policy Act to strengthen responses at federal, state and local levels.
One of the key witnesses was Arthur Liu, who fled China after the Tiananmen crackdown and later settled in California. Liu testified that in 2021 the FBI warned him that a suspected Chinese operative was allegedly tracking him and seeking information about him and his daughter, Olympic figure skater Alysa Liu, ahead of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. He said the warning left him fearful for his daughter’s safety.
Another witness, Anna Kwok, chair of the Hong Kong Democracy Council, said she became the target of threats after testifying before Congress in 2023. Hong Kong authorities later issued a bounty for her arrest, while she also faced intimidation during protests in San Francisco. Kwok said activists abroad often live under constant pressure and surveillance.
State officials from Nebraska and Alaska highlighted efforts to counter foreign influence and protect infrastructure, arguing that local governments play an increasingly important role in addressing such threats. The hearing concluded with renewed calls for stronger legislation and coordination to combat transnational repression in the United States. (IANS)
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