The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has perfected the art of suppression—silencing free thought, rewriting history, and controlling cultural narratives. Its influence is no longer limited to China’s borders. The CCP’s authoritarian reach has expanded into democratic societies, using propaganda, cyberattacks, diplomatic coercion, and even direct threats to silence those who expose its oppressive nature.
One of the most striking examples of this transnational repression is the CCP’s relentless campaign against Shen Yun, a New York-based performing arts company that has revived a cultural heritage that the Party has spent decades trying to erase.
For 5,000 years, China flourished as a civilization of immense spiritual and artistic depth. Guided by Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist principles, Chinese culture emphasized virtues such as compassion, integrity, and respect for the divine. From the Yellow Emperor of antiquity to the splendor of the Tang Dynasty and the refinement of the Qing, China’s rich traditions formed an enduring legacy. But when the CCP seized power, it launched one of the most aggressive cultural purges in history. The Cultural Revolution led to the destruction of temples, the banning of religious practices, and the replacement of China’s traditional identity with state-controlled ideology.
Shen Yun was founded in 2006 as an effort to restore China’s lost artistic heritage. Unlike any other performing arts company, Shen Yun exists outside the reach of the CCP, allowing it to freely present a version of China that the Party has worked so hard to erase. Shen Yun’s world-class artists—drawn from across the globe—work to revive a heritage that was nearly lost. They are preserving history, but also challenging the CCP’s monopoly on Chinese identity.
Beijing understands that its control over the narrative of Chinese history is fragile. If audiences around the world see the beauty of China’s pre-communist traditions, they may begin to question the legitimacy of the Party’s rule.
The CCP’s hostility toward Shen Yun extends beyond criticism—it seeks to sabotage the group’s performances worldwide. Chinese embassies have contacted theaters, demanding they cancel performances or face consequences. Venues that refuse to comply often experience harassment, technical failures, website hacks, and even direct intimidation. At the same time, state-run media outlets push disinformation, branding Shen Yun as controversial to deter audiences from attending.
The CCP’s targets Shen Yun’s performers as well. Its repression tactics have been relentless, from sabotaging vehicles carrying the artists to threatening and imprisoning their relatives in China.
The CCP’s influence extends far beyond Shen Yun. It is part of a broader strategy to reshape global discourse to fit an authoritarian agenda. From Hollywood’s self-censorship to the infiltration of U.S. universities through Confucius Institutes, the CCP has been working to influence the cultural and political landscape of America. If left unchecked, China’s control over narratives will only expand.
America must push back against China’s aggressive censorship, rally allies to uphold democratic values, and reaffirm its role as the world’s foremost defender of freedom. This means taking firm action against CCP-backed propaganda, preventing foreign regimes from interfering in American cultural institutions, and holding accountable those who act as unregistered agents for foreign authoritarian interests.
The United States must take the lead in protecting free expression, ensuring that foreign regimes cannot silence critics, and defending organizations like Shen Yun that stand for truth and historical preservation. Standing with Shen Yun means standing for free expression, historical truth, and resistance to tyranny. If America allows the CCP to dictate what art can be seen, where does the censorship stop?
Diana London is a Newsmax columnist and co-founder of Ford & London Global Strategies.