The FBI’s Houston office has issued a warning to residents over potential efforts by the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to engage in cyberstalking, physical intimidation, and harassment of Chinese citizens, naturalized U.S. citizens, and families of dissidents in Texas.
These actions appear to target those who have spoken out against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), including individuals who have fled China and Hong Kong.
In a recent hearing, Anna Kwok, executive director of the Hong Kong Democracy Council, shared her harrowing experience with “transnational repression” by the CCP. Kwok, a Hong Kong native who sought refuge in the U.S. after the 2019 protests in Hong Kong, revealed that in July 2023, she discovered a bounty of one million Hong Kong dollars had been placed on her head, alongside a warrant for her arrest for "colluding with foreign forces." She also experienced harassment from anonymous accounts on social media, including threats and gender-based attacks.
"Even though I was in the Land of the Free, I was not free; I was trapped in the constant mental pressure of being hunted," Kwok testified. She described how the CCP’s efforts to silence her advocacy initiatives against their regime contributed to a pervasive sense of fear and oppression.
Kwok urged Congress to introduce legislation that would criminalize transnational repression and provide law enforcement agencies with proper training on the issue. She also advocated for legal status and support for individuals subjected to these types of harassment.
Dr. Sophie Richardson, a human rights expert on China, also testified during the hearing, shedding light on CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping’s strategy to limit or erase criticism of his regime globally. Richardson emphasized that many victims of transnational repression are reluctant to report threats or harassment due to fear of retaliation.
"If people in democracies are refraining from reporting threats, harassment, or other forms of transnational repression perpetrated by Chinese authorities, it is urgent to understand why and remove the barriers to reporting those crimes," Richardson said during her testimony.
