A public forum held on Sept. 27 in the San Francisco Bay Area brought together Chinese dissidents, artists, and democracy advocates to shed light on the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) campaign of transnational repression on U.S. soil, including physical violence, surveillance, intimidation, and sabotage against overseas dissidents.

The event was jointly organized by The Epoch Times, New Tang Dynasty Television, and Sound of Hope Radio Network.

Art Under Attack

Renowned Chinese-American sculptor Chen Weiming, founder of the Liberty Sculpture Park in Southern California, shared his experience of repeated attacks by individuals linked to the CCP.

His sculpture titled “The CCP Virus”—unveiled on June 4, 2021, to mark the Tiananmen Square anniversary—was torched just over a month later. The sculpture was intended to serve as a stark reminder that the CCP must be held accountable for the global outbreak of the COVID-19 virus.

Liu Fan, one of the suspects, has been charged in connection with the arson and is currently facing trial in a federal court in Brooklyn, New York.

Prosecutors allege that Liu was acting as an unregistered agent of the Chinese regime. However, the trial has been delayed at least four times in the last three years, which, according to Chen, is a typical CCP strategy to gradually fade the case from public attention.

“The CCP didn’t stop after the statue was burned and one of its henchmen was exposed—they escalated,” Chen said.

Following the arson, other installations in the park were vandalized, including the famous “Tank Man” statue and several memorials. Three security dogs were poisoned or beaten to death one after another, and monuments were damaged with corrosive chemicals.

Despite the attacks, Chen showed remarkable resilience by leading a car parade with fellow activists through 12 U.S. states. The parade featured a 14-foot replica of the “CCP Virus” sculpture mounted on his truck, calling for justice and accountability.

Chen called on all sectors of U.S. society to unite in resisting the CCP’s infiltration and defending America’s freedom.

“This is the final bastion,” he said. “Only by preserving freedom in America can we one day secure freedom for the Chinese people.”

Testimonies of Harassment, Intimidation

Fang Zheng, a survivor of the 1989 Tiananmen massacre and president of the Chinese Democracy Education Foundation, testified that the CCP routinely targets the family members of overseas dissidents in China.

In June, after organizing an exhibit titled “100 Years of Tyranny” in front of the Chinese consulate in San Francisco, where he publicly called for the prosecution of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, China’s state security agents immediately pressured his sister in Beijing.

“The CCP spares no effort in cracking down on any act that dares reveal the truth,” Fang said, adding that the regime’s tactics include infiltration, surveillance, bribery, arson, and even orchestrated traffic accidents.

“As the CCP enters a kind of ‘end-stage madness,’ its repression is only becoming more aggressive,” he said. “It’s not just a threat to dissidents—it’s a threat to the democratic world.”

Infiltration Began Decades Ago

Hu Liren, a former entrepreneur from Shanghai who currently lives in the United States, recalled that CCP infiltration efforts in the United States date back to the 1980s. He noted that Fudan University’s international relations department was designed to train future overseas agents.

While in Shanghai, he learned from CCP insiders that the regime has been secretly supplying anti-American forces around the world with weapons at low cost or even for free.

“Although the CCP maintains a facade of friendship with the United States, it has been actively working to undermine the free world,” he said.

After arriving in the United States, Hu encountered several suspicious incidents and acts of sabotage. These included repeated instances of tampering with his car, such as slashed tires and punctured radiator hoses. He recalled a chilling threat from CCP agents: “The moment you leave the United States, we'll find a way to deal with you.”

CCP Agents Target Protesters

Jie Lijian, the chairman of the China Democracy Party International Alliance, recounted violent attacks that occurred during the 2023 APEC summit in San Francisco. Jie and other activists traveled to San Francisco to protest the visit of Xi Jinping. Even before leaving, Jie found nails scattered around his car tires. Upon arrival, his lodging was surveilled by unknown individuals.

At the protest site outside the St. Regis Hotel, clashes erupted when large groups of pro-CCP demonstrators and individuals acting like hired thugs violently assaulted anti-CCP activists, including people from Hong Kong, Tibet, and Xinjiang.

“The thugs wore spiked knuckle rings that left deep wounds,” Jie said. “They beat people with flagpoles, used Chinese national flags to surround victims, and attacked with steel rods. It was organized brutality.”

Jie was struck in the head, sustained a serious injury, and continues to rely on pain medication. His right hand was broken by a flagpole, and to this day, still cannot fully straighten.

“Such violence is a clear case of cross-border terrorism,” he said.

Jie also revealed that he has faced numerous assassination attempts over the years. On Sept. 18 this year, he was informed by an online source that the CCP had placed a $100,000 bounty to have him permanently disabled. Just days later, while driving on a highway, one of his car tires exploded. An inspection found that three tires had been slashed and embedded with screws.

Visibly emotional, Jie recounted the near-fatal incident. “If I had reacted even a second slower, or if there had been a car in the next lane, I might not be here speaking today.”

He added that the CCP uses agents not only to carry out intimidation but also to infiltrate pro-democracy groups, which causes serious harm and threatens the personal safety of overseas Chinese activists.

He expressed gratitude to the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI for their protection and noted that several CCP operatives have already been convicted, demonstrating that the rule of law in the United States still serves as a powerful deterrent.

Jie called on the international community to unite in exposing and ending the CCP’s transnational repression.

“We are wielding the sword of justice for God. Tyranny will inevitably meet its demise,” he said.

Event Q&A

Lan Shu, chief editor of The Epoch Times’ Northern California office, said the CCP’s repression of Chinese dissidents in America is part of a broader “unrestricted warfare” strategy against the free world. He urged Chinese Americans to play a critical role in exposing the CCP’s extraterritorial abuses.

“This isn’t just about Chinese Americans. It’s about defending global freedom,” he said. “We have a duty to speak up.”

More than one hundred attendees gathered to hear firsthand accounts from the speakers. The forum concluded with an engaging Q&A session.

Several audience members, including Chinese Americans involved in anti-CCP advocacy, asked how they could better protect themselves and their families in China. Many expressed gratitude to the speakers for exposing the CCP’s aggressive tactics on American soil in great detail.

Xue Mingzhu contributed to this report.