On July 20, 2025, thousands of Falun Gong practitioners in the Greater New York area held a “Stop the Persecution of Falun Gong” parade in Manhattan’s Chinatown. Hundreds of Shen Yun artists and staff formed a contingent and joined the parade procession. (Dai Bing / The Dajiyuan)
[People News] Earlier this month, Levi Browde, Executive Director of the Falun Dafa Information Center, stated at a public panel discussion during the 2026 International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) uses technology and weaponizes mainstream media and social media to spread disinformation in order to attack Shen Yun Performing Arts and Falun Gong.
Several U.S. officials strongly condemned the CCP’s above-mentioned transnational repression in interviews with The Dajiyuan. They stated that the CCP’s disinformation must never be allowed to influence American public opinion, and that the United States should impose sanctions and take all possible measures to counter it.
CCP Manipulates Media Narratives, Creates Bot Accounts to Attack Shen Yun
Levi Browde, Executive Director of the Falun Dafa Information Center. (The Dajiyuan)
Browde stated that Shen Yun and Falun Gong are primary targets of the CCP’s transnational repression, and that the use of technology has made this repression “exceptionally complex and difficult.”
He said the CCP first controls media outlets to push aggressive false narratives, then creates large numbers of fake accounts to massively amplify those narratives on social media — one of the main methods the CCP uses technology to attack Shen Yun and Falun Gong.
Browde said, “A few years ago, Beijing noticed Shen Yun’s tremendous influence, and then took action with the help of some Beijing-backed YouTubers.”
“They fabricated numerous accusations against Shen Yun.”
“These accusations were packaged as litigation materials and used to entice certain media outlets to follow up, resulting in a large number of (hostile) news reports.”
Shen Yun Performing Arts was founded in New York in 2006 with a mission to revive traditional Chinese culture and “show China before communism.” Shen Yun tours globally each year, bringing authentic, pure, and uplifting performances to millions of audience members — something that has unsettled the CCP.
Renowned legal scholar and former Peking University law professor Yuan Hongbing also stated that, “At an expanded meeting of the CCP Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission held before the 20th Party Congress in 2022, Xi Jinping proposed a new round of strategic repression against the overseas development of Falun Gong.” He revealed that this upgraded campaign is primarily carried out through a “media war” and “legal war,” with Shen Yun as a primary target.
The mainstream U.S. outlet The New York Times has unfortunately become a vanguard in the CCP’s escalated overseas transnational repression against Shen Yun and Falun Gong.
Since 2024, The New York Times has published more than ten articles attacking Shen Yun and Falun Gong. This trend closely aligns with multiple pieces of leaked intelligence from within the CCP indicating an escalation of transnational repression against Shen Yun and Falun Gong.
In early August 2024, the Falun Dafa Information Center released a detailed report exposing a CCP Ministry of Public Security plan to concentrate overseas efforts on smearing and defaming Falun Gong and Shen Yun. One leaked document specifically mentioned supporting a Chinese YouTuber who had publicly defamed Falun Gong and issued violent threats against Shen Yun. The man warned that Shen Yun performers should “be afraid” of him and should “kneel before me.”
According to the leaked documents, the CCP Ministry of Public Security promised “full support” to this YouTuber. Another document mentioned arranging for overseas mainstream media to publish defamatory content about Falun Gong.
Browde continued, “In 2025, on the X platform, one of (The New York Times’) articles attacking Shen Yun became the most widely reposted article.”
“An investigation by X found that this was because thousands of CCP-linked fake accounts were reposting the article.”
“Afterward, a large number of videos suddenly appeared on YouTube, with content and arguments highly consistent with that article, collectively attacking Shen Yun and Falun Gong.”
In March 2023, social media platform X removed thousands of accounts suspected of being linked to the CCP that were used to promote The New York Times’ articles attacking Shen Yun or Falun Gong.
Western YouTuber Reveals CCP Attempts to Buy Narratives
Browde mentioned that well-known Western YouTuber Tim Pool publicly revealed that individuals from China contacted him and offered financial incentives.
Browde said, “This reveals a mechanism: shaping narratives to intimidate and attack Chinese diaspora communities and their supporters.”
YouTubers Critical of the CCP Lose Monetization
On one hand, the CCP has created large numbers of fake accounts on YouTube to spread false narratives. On the other hand, YouTube channels that criticize the CCP have repeatedly been demonetized.
Browde said, “I know some YouTubers who were demonetized simply for criticizing the Chinese Communist Party.”
“They received only vague notices such as ‘you violated community guidelines,’ without any specific explanation.”
Falun Dafa Information Center: Media Working with CCP Should Register as Foreign Agents
Browde stated that Western mainstream media and social media platforms have an obligation to disclose their relationships with the CCP.
“What has greater impact on public policy than media — including social media?” Browde asked. “Yet there is no comparable transparency mechanism in place for media.”
“Some mainstream media companies have tens of millions of dollars in business dealings inside China.” “Some employees have personal business interests (connected to the CCP), and other ties to the CCP.”
Beyond commercial ties, some executives of U.S. mainstream media have even met with high-level CCP officials.
Browde said, “They meet with CCP personnel, yet none of this is disclosed.”
In an interview with The Dajiyuan, Browde stated that if Western mainstream or social media companies have business dealings with the CCP, they should register as foreign agents.
He said, “Lobbyists must disclose when they act as foreign agents or have foreign business ties. Media should do the same.”
“There should be transparency laws requiring media and social media platforms to disclose when they have some connection to the CCP regime — whether they receive funding, are compensated for certain content, or have individuals linked to the Chinese government involved in producing content. They should do this.”
U.S. Senator: Social Media Must Be Accountable for Disinformation
On February 4, 2026, U.S. Senator James Lankford spoke at an event during the International Religious Freedom Summit. (Madalina Vasiliu / The Dajiyuan)
U.S. Senator James Lankford told The Dajiyuan that social media platforms must be responsible for the content published on their platforms.
He said, “Too many people post false information on social media, making it difficult to distinguish truth from falsehood… When content is divisive or intended to incite violence, social media platforms should now be held accountable.”
IRF Co-Chair: The CCP Is Behind the New York Times Articles
On February 4, 2026, Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett, Co-Chair of the International Religious Freedom Summit (IRF), spoke at an event. (Xia Li / The Dajiyuan)
Regarding the CCP weaponizing U.S. mainstream and social media, including The New York Times publishing more than ten articles attacking Shen Yun and Falun Gong, Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett told The Dajiyuan that the CCP is behind these attack articles.
Lantos Swett said, “I have seen Shen Yun. It is an incredibly magnificent performance that not only showcases traditional Chinese culture but is deeply inspiring.”
“The New York Times would not concentrate its attacks on a particular group without reason. There must be something behind it. What we are seeing is the malicious influence of the Chinese (CCP) government,” she said, adding that the more than ten articles were “based on one-sided information and questionable sources.”
“Sunlight and transparency are the best disinfectants. We must expose this (CCP) interference in academia, media, business, cultural institutions, and even politics,” she said.
Lantos Swett previously served as Chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) and currently teaches in the political science department at Tufts University.
Former Ambassador and Congressman: We Must Not Allow Fake News to Manipulate Public Opinion
Former U.S. Ambassador to Denmark and former Congressman Richard Swett (Richard Swett) (Xia Li / The Dajiyuan)
Former U.S. Ambassador to Denmark and former Congressman Richard Swett told The Dajiyuan regarding The New York Times being used by the CCP to attack Shen Yun and Falun Gong, “The term ‘fake news’ is popular now, and what the CCP is trying to do is distort the news.”
“When someone uses news to create false or fake news to influence American public opinion, we must never allow that to happen.”
“We must remain vigilant. The entire country must be aware of these things.”
Congressman: Impose Sanctions on the CCP and Use All Means to Counter It
On February 4, 2026, U.S. Representative Andy Harris spoke at an IRF event. (Madalina Vasiliu / The Dajiyuan)
Representative Andy Harris told The Dajiyuan that sanctions and all available means should be used to counter the CCP’s persecution of religious groups and its weaponization of social media to carry out transnational repression against Falun Gong and others.
Harris said, “We should use every means available to oppose this behavior.”
“Sanctions are absolutely one of the tools the world should use against countries that persecute religious freedom — whether it’s the CCP or any other country. We should oppose this behavior and use every tool.”
He added, “We know hostile nations use the influence of social media. We should remain vigilant and counter it by all possible means.”
“If there are not enough tools, then we can develop them.”
Currently, at least two bills under consideration in Congress could directly counter the CCP’s transnational repression — the Transnational Repression Policy Act and the 2025 Countering Transnational Repression Act.
(Reported by Xia Li, The Dajiyuan, Washington, DC)
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