As reported by the New York Post, the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) influence and tactics of suppression have made their way from Beijing to Brooklyn, targeting a former Chinese dissident turned U.S. Congressional candidate, Xiong Yan. This former student organizer, who fled China after the Tiananmen Square massacre, found himself under attack again, not on the streets of Beijing but in a Democratic primary for Congress in New York.
A federal investigation revealed the lengths to which the CCP would go to thwart Yan’s political ambitions. Operatives allegedly sought to set up Yan, a 59-year-old pastor and father of eight, in various smear campaigns, including hiring a prostitute to damage his reputation or resorting to violence to physically incapacitate him. Despite these efforts, Yan remained in the race, although he finished with only 700 votes.
Yan’s past is marked by courage and resilience. As a law student in Beijing in 1989, he was a prominent figure in the pro-democracy protests that culminated in the tragic Tiananmen Square massacre. Yan witnessed and documented the brutal crackdown that left thousands dead, an event that remains a taboo subject in China. Following the massacre, Yan was imprisoned for 19 months without charges and stripped of his university degrees. He eventually escaped to the United States, where he was granted political asylum and sought to continue his fight for democracy.
But even in the U.S., Yan couldn’t escape the CCP’s reach. According to federal prosecutors, Yuanjun Tang, a former pro-democracy activist now accused of working for the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS), was spying on Yan during his campaign. Tang allegedly used a specially modified phone to transmit photos and videos of Yan directly to Chinese authorities. In return for his espionage, Tang’s family reportedly received financial compensation from the CCP.
The investigation also pointed to other operatives like Qiming Lin, a former police officer from China, who allegedly conspired to discredit Yan further. In conversations recorded by federal authorities, Lin discussed fabricating scandals involving prostitution, unpaid taxes, or other compromising behaviors to tarnish Yan’s image. When asked about alternative plans, Lin did not shy away from suggesting violence, proposing to “beat him until he cannot run for election” or stage a car accident.
Yan, who served two tours of duty with the U.S. Marines in Iraq after moving to the United States, expressed his shock and dismay upon learning about the alleged plots against him. Despite the setbacks and the smear campaigns within the Chinese community in Brooklyn, Yan remained steadfast in his candidacy, determined not to be silenced by the CCP’s intimidation tactics.
These revelations highlight the CCP’s ongoing efforts to suppress dissent, even beyond its borders. Yan’s experience underscores a broader issue of Chinese interference in democratic processes abroad, where operatives aim to discredit, disrupt, and dismantle the voices of those who challenge the party’s authority.
Yan’s journey from a law student at Beijing University to a U.S. Congressional candidate illustrates both the resilience of the human spirit and the persistent, far-reaching arm of authoritarian regimes. His story serves as a reminder of the continuing fight for freedom and democracy, a battle that Yan, and many like him, are still fighting, even 35 years after the Tiananmen Square massacre.
The U.S. justice system has taken steps to hold these foreign operatives accountable, charging Tang with espionage. However, the ongoing efforts by the CCP to influence and intimidate underscore the complex geopolitical landscape in which these battles are fought.
ACZ Editor: Remember, this is the CCP operating freely within the borders of the U.S., committing crimes, controlling its ex-patriots. Their sinister activities must be tracked and stopped within the United States.