Pro-China Protest Network Hits US Streets as Trump Prepares to Host Xi at the White House

.

A Week of Protests, One Funding Source

As President Donald Trump welcomes Xi Jinping to Washington this week for a rare state visit, a very different kind of activity has been unfolding on American streets. From Austin, Texas, to the steps of the United Nations in New York, groups tied to a single wealthy donor have staged a rapid series of demonstrations touching on immigration, climate policy, artificial intelligence and the Middle East.

The man behind much of the funding is Neville Roy Singham, an American-born tech entrepreneur who made his fortune with the software firm ThoughtWorks before relocating to Shanghai. Singham's wife, Jodie Evans, co-founded the activist group CodePink and has been a visible presence at this week's events, including protests near the UN and outside the offices of OpenAI.

Republican lawmakers say the pattern is no accident. They argue that scattered, fast-moving protests create a public image of instability right as Trump sits down for delicate trade and security talks with Beijing.

.

Lawmakers Call It "Astroturf," Not Grassroots

Rep. Jason Smith, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, has pushed for more transparency around the groups involved, telling reporters that the public deserves to know these are not purely organic movements. Committee documents show Smith has separately accused one of the network's key hubs, the People's Forum, of operating as a likely CCP-aligned messaging arm while claiming tax-exempt status.

Rep. John Moolenaar, who chairs the House Select Committee on China, has gone further, describing the network's grassroots appearance as "Astroturf" — organized activism dressed up as spontaneous public outrage. He has also questioned whether the groups' political activity should disqualify them from tax-exempt status altogether.

The organizations involved — including CodePink, the People's Forum and the Party for Socialism and Liberation — often present their protests as separate, unrelated events. But records reviewed by congressional investigators show shared funding, overlapping leadership and coordinated social-media promotion across the network.

.

Where the Money Comes From

According to congressional and investigative reporting, Singham has moved close to $285 million through a donor-advised fund and shell companies into a group of nonprofits and media outlets since 2017. CodePink has reportedly received more than $1.3 million from Singham, while the People's Forum — a Manhattan hub that hosted screenings and organizing sessions this week — has taken in over $20 million.

A research group tracking nonprofit funding, InfluenceWatch, has documented similar figures and noted that Singham has been publicly linked to Chinese state media appearances in which he voiced support for the Chinese Communist Party's global agenda. He is not known to have been charged with any crime.

.

A Federal Investigation Is Already Underway

The scrutiny has moved beyond Congress. Earlier this year, the Department of Justice authorized a federal grand jury investigation, run out of the Southern District of New York, into whether Singham or the organizations he funds committed wire fraud, bank fraud or money laundering. Fox News reported that prosecutors have already sought bank records from entities connected to the network.

No charges have been filed, and the existence of an investigation does not mean Singham personally directed any specific protest. Singham, CodePink and the People's Forum have not publicly responded to the allegations in detail.

.

Silence on China's Own Record

Critics point out a consistent pattern: protest messaging from these groups is sharply critical of the U.S. military, American energy policy and American allies, but almost entirely silent on China's own human-rights record — including the long-running persecution of religious and spiritual minorities such as Falun Dafa practitioners, as well as restrictions on speech and civil society inside China itself.

That contrast, lawmakers argue, is precisely what makes the timing suspicious. Coming during a week when Xi is in Washington for a summit that includes trade, artificial intelligence and Taiwan on the agenda, a wave of anti-American street protests could hand Beijing a useful talking point about U.S. instability — even if the protests themselves are homegrown activists acting on funded infrastructure rather than direct foreign government orders.

.

What Comes Next

The Trump-Xi summit runs through the end of this week, with a state dinner and further meetings scheduled at the White House. Protest activity tied to the Singham network is expected to continue in parallel, with additional demonstrations planned in both New York and Austin.

Meanwhile, the DOJ investigation continues, and congressional committees have signaled they may pursue further subpoenas or hearings. Whether the grand jury process leads to charges — or whether the network's nonprofit status comes under formal review — remains to be seen.

.

Sources

1. House Ways and Means Committee — https://waysandmeans.house.gov/2025/09/04/chairman-smith-exposes-u-s-nonprofit-as-likely-ccp-funded-propaganda-arm-operating-under-tax-exempt-status/
2. Fox News Digital, "DOJ launches grand jury probe into Marxist tech tycoon Singham for alleged fraud" — https://www.foxnews.com/politics/doj-launches-grand-jury-probe-marxist-mogul-neville-roy-singhams-funding-leftist-groups
3. South China Morning Post, "Trump, Melania to host Xi and Peng Liyuan for White House 'double date'" — https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3368082/trump-melania-host-xi-and-peng-white-house-double-date-full-schedule
4. InfluenceWatch, "Neville Roy Singham" — https://www.influencewatch.org/person/neville-roy-singham/

.