The Epoch Times has reported extensively on the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) expanding influence operations in the United States, particularly in New York City. These operations appear to be evolving, relying on paid protesters to target human rights groups like Falun Gong and the performing arts group Shen Yun. Observers are increasingly alarmed by the ways these efforts appear to co-opt unwitting individuals and align with CCP narratives.

Tactics on the Ground

In the past, protests supporting the CCP in New York featured large groups of Chinese nationals waving red flags and directly confronting Falun Gong practitioners. But in recent months, small groups of protesters—many not Chinese—have been seen distributing materials in English that echo Chinese state media propaganda. Some of these protesters have admitted they were paid to participate.

On May 9, a small group of fewer than 10 individuals gathered near a Falun Gong parade in Manhattan. Signs and banners they carried included messages drawn directly from Chinese propaganda. A Chinese man was seen filming the group, but his role is unclear. When questioned by a police officer, one protester admitted he was paid $200 to participate.

Sarah Cook, a China researcher, told The Epoch Times, “The purpose of using non-Chinese people makes it seem like it’s authentic and it’s grassroots. People are going to pay more attention.” Cook added that these tactics, initially tested against Falun Gong, are now being refined and used more broadly.

Financial Motivations and Confusion

The use of paid protesters is not new. During Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s visits to the U.S. in 2015 and 2023, there were reports of paid demonstrators to counter protests by Uyghurs and Falun Gong practitioners. In 2023, a federal indictment detailed how a Chinese agent and a California-based operative sought $80,000 to fund a drum band for this purpose.

In New York, some protesters have openly admitted their financial motivations. In Flushing, a Chinese man was recorded saying he was paid $20 per hour to distribute anti-Falun Gong flyers. He told The Epoch Times, “Give me $25 an hour, and I will stop giving these out.”

Another protester, a black man who spoke French, said a friend had hired him to protest. “I didn’t know what was written on the boards,” he said. “But if I know, I’m not going to do the job.”

Ties to Known Figures

Two individuals, Michael Chu and Liu Ningxiang, have been linked to these activities. Chu, originally from Taiwan, has ties to pro-Beijing organizations. He was previously named in a 2015 lawsuit by Falun Gong practitioners and pro-democracy activists. Liu has been observed at protests outside the Chinese consulate and at Lincoln Center, where he handed out anti-Shen Yun materials and directed others.

Three protesters were seen entering a Flushing building where Chu runs a travel agency. Liu has also been seen unloading similar propaganda materials there.

Levi Browde, executive director of the Falun Dafa Information Center, said these admissions confirm suspicions that the protesters are “being rewarded to—wittingly or unwittingly—act at the behest of the Chinese regime.”

The Media’s Role and Growing Concerns

Over the past six months, The New York Times has published 10 articles critical of Shen Yun Performing Arts. According to The Epoch Times, these articles have been cited by Chinese state media and widely shared on social media. X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, removed thousands of accounts it deemed inauthentic and tied to this propaganda push.

Shen Yun has also faced sabotage, such as slashed bus tires and bomb threats, believed to be linked to Chinese operatives. In 2022, Xi Jinping reportedly instructed his agencies to use “unconventional strategies,” including disinformation and lawsuits, against Falun Gong.

Browde said, “They are spelling out in their plan what we’re actually seeing happen in reality.”

The campaign against Falun Gong and Shen Yun in New York shows how foreign influence operations can exploit local communities and co-opt individuals unaware of the broader context. In the words of a former protester, “If I know, I’m not going to do the job.” But the CCP’s playbook appears to rely on exactly that ignorance, paying people to do work they don’t fully understand—while advancing an agenda aimed at silencing critical voices in America’s largest city.

ACZ Editor: How can we let the CCP get away with this?