Rep. Nunn: US Government Must Hold CCP Accountable for Transnational Repression
Udumbara
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As the Chinese regime expands its global campaign of repression, Rep. Zach Nunn (R-Iowa) is calling on the U.S. government to respond.
Nunn told The Epoch Times that the White House and other agencies must expose the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) transnational repression and take steps to hold Beijing accountable.
“We’ve heard from multiple sources the fact that China is capable today of launching information operation campaigns, intimidation campaigns, including using an entire class of political warfare against us, citizens on U.S. soil,” Nunn said.
“This is a direct threat. This is no longer theoretical. This is something that the U.S. government has to not only call out clearly, but also hold Beijing accountable for personally under the CCP’s decision to make these cross-border incursions that are doing harm on U.S. soil.”
Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual practice rooted in the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. It gained widespread popularity in China during the 1990s, with estimates ranging from 70 to 100 million practitioners by the end of the decade. In 1999, the regime launched a sweeping and violent campaign to eradicate the group, subjecting millions to arrest, torture, forced labor, and forced organ harvesting.
One key target of the CCP’s overseas suppression efforts is Shen Yun Performing Arts, founded in 2006 by Falun Gong practitioners in the United States. Shen Yun has made its mission to revive traditional Chinese culture while exposing the CCP’s human rights abuses—drawing the ire of Beijing and its propaganda apparatus.
Nunn said that the U.S. executive branch should conduct thorough investigations into the CCP’s overseas operations, particularly given that these efforts have expanded beyond information warfare to include attempts to manipulate legal and political systems abroad.
CCP Orders Escalation
In December 2024, The Epoch Times reported on a secret CCP leadership meeting held in 2022. According to Chinese dissident Yuan Hongbing, Chinese leader Xi Jinping expressed frustration over the failure to suppress Falun Gong and called for a more aggressive global campaign, including the use of disinformation and lawfare—the strategic use of legal systems to attack dissidents.FBI Sting Uncovers CCP Operatives in US
Between 2023 and 2024, two U.S. citizens—Chen Jun and his associate Lin Feng—attempted to bribe an IRS official in an effort to revoke Shen Yun’s nonprofit status, according to the U.S. authorities. Both men were later found to be linked to the notorious “610 Office,” an extralegal CCP task force established in 1999 specifically to suppress Falun Gong.The two were also caught surveilling Falun Gong residents in Orange County, New York, covertly gathering personal information as part of a broader plot to disrupt the group’s activities. Prosecutors stated that these actions served the interests of the Chinese regime and were part of a long-running foreign interference scheme.
Countering Legal Warfare
When discussing how the United States should respond to the CCP’s use of American legal systems to target faith-based communities, Nunn emphasized the value of transparency and accountability.“This is what’s great about an open society like the United States. We’re able to call out, transparently, their bad behavior and hold them accountable,” he said.
Reflecting on recent developments, Nunn said he believes there has been a shift in how federal agencies respond to the CCP’s interference, particularly under the current Department of Justice and FBI leadership. “I think we have had a new cop in town,” he said.
Nunn underscored that it’s essential to hold Beijing accountable—and just as importantly, to have “an administration who wants to lead in stopping these things from happening in the future.”
