(Minghui.org) Canadian parliamentarians, diplomats, and former Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers spoke out in October 2025, condemning the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) transnational repression of Falun Gong, Shen Yun Performing Arts, and other Chinese communities outside of China.
CCP’s Transnational Repression Escalates, Parliamentarians Condemn It
The CCP’s transnational repression and smear campaign have spread globally. Since 2022, under Chinese President Xi Jinping’s directives, the CCP has escalated its persecution, including intimidation, threats, and suppression of Falun Gong and Shen Yun Performing Arts abroad. This transnational repression has been particularly severe in the United States, but has also spread to Canada and other countries. Numerous incidents have been well documented, including attempts to bribe U.S. officials to attack Shen Yun, manipulation of the U.S. media and legal system, over 100 anonymous bomb threats, and social media manipulation. This year, theaters in four Canadian cities hosting Shen Yun performances received anonymous threats of bombs or mass shootings. This escalating intimidation campaign has sparked a strong reaction from Canadian elected officials.
Judy Sgro MP recently said in an interview that the CCP’s terrorist acts must be resolutely countered. She encouraged everyone to stand firm and not succumb to intimidation and violence.
Judy Sgro MP
“Shen Yun is such a beautiful, beautiful performance. For them to be intimidated and pushed around, to prevent them from sharing their wonderful performance with Canada, I certainly know that we have to push back,” said Judy Sgro MP. “As a Canadian government, we must be against all kinds of what I call terrorist activities, and we will continue to pursue all those avenues well.”
She called on the Canadian government to counteract the CCP’s transnational repression. “We continue to see this issue of transnational repression happening in a variety of countries, and we know what’s behind it, because China continues to be behind all of these things. And we have to make sure that we stay as a very united Canada against that kind of activity.”
She watched Shen Yun and was moved. She encouraged people not to yield to intimidation and violence. “But it’s very challenging, whether we’re talking about the Shen Yun or we’re talking about other avenues of exploitation and intimidation. It seems to be happening in many, many communities, in different capacities,” she said. “I have seen Shen Yun. My family has attended and seen it, and it’s a beautiful performance. And I just want to make sure that everybody stays strong and doesn’t give in to this kind of intimidation and these violent activities.”
In an interview, Senator Michael L. MacDonald stressed that Canada, as a sovereign state, should be respected, and no government should be allowed to interfere with its democratic system. He said, “We’re an open country. We invite people, but we don’t want any government, no matter what their political stripe, to be undermining, interfering with the democratic process in this country.”
Senator Michael L. MacDonald
He called for continued vigilance and resolute resistance to the CCP’s transnational repression, expressing confidence in the future, “We will prevail. I believe it.”
Since July of this year, 65 Canadian federal senators and members of Parliament have issued joint statements strongly condemning the CCP’s 26-year persecution of Falun Gong and its escalating, transnational repression, including the interference with Shen Yun. This year, theaters in several Canadian cities hosting Shen Yun performances, including Vancouver, Montreal, Mississauga, and Kitchener, received emailed threats of violence. Calgary also experienced interference to the performance.
Taiwan’s Representative to Canada: CCP Intimidation Will Fail
Tseng Hou-jen, the representative of Taiwan to Canada, has also seen Shen Yun. In an interview on October 7, he praised the performance as “touching and truly magnificent,” and strongly condemned any form of violent intimidation against it. He said, “I believe everyone who attends Shen Yun will be deeply moved. If such threats are encountered before or during a Shen Yun performance, they should be immediately reported to Canadian law enforcement. This is extremely unacceptable.”
Tseng Hou-jen, representative of Taiwan to Canada
He said the CCP’s transnational repression and related tactics will eventually fail. Representative Tseng said, “I believe that exposing China’s (CCP) covert transnational repression will put pressure on them. Over time, they will realize that this approach is ineffective. I look forward to that day arriving soon.”
Former RCMP Officer Condemns the Transnational Repression
Regarding the CCP’s transnational repression and threats, Garry Clement, co-author of Canada Under Siege and former senior investigator with the RCMP, said that the CCP’s interference with Shen Yun undoubtedly constitutes transnational repression.
Garry Clement, former senior investigator with the RCMP
Mr. Clement stated that transnational repression also includes threats against relatives of overseas Chinese in China. “If you’ve got family back in China and you speak culture, they’re going to pay a price.”
He stated that current Canadian laws are insufficient to address these threats. Although Canada’s Bill C-70, an act respecting countering foreign interference, was passed last year, he said, “We need to have a foreign registry. We don’t have that.”
C-70 aims to combat foreign interference in Canada’s democratic system, specifically targeting transnational repression and united front infiltration by authoritarian regimes like the CCP. The bill establishes a foreign agent registration system, strengthens criminal law and national security intelligence laws, and grants the government greater authority over law enforcement and intelligence sharing. Modeled after the United States’ Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) and the Australian model, the bill is seen as a crucial addition to Canada’s defenses of democracy.
Dean Baxendale, publisher of Canada Under Siege, has also seen Shen Yun, and highly praised its performances. “I would say I 110% recommend it to everyone; it’s absolutely exquisite,” he said. The performance has brought divinely-inspired culture back to the world across thousands of years. The culture, the infectious dance, and the spiritual elements it truly represents—national spirit, altruism, and the virtues of humanity, sharing, and kindness—are extremely important driving forces for human development.
Publisher Dean Baxendale
“I think first of all, we need C70 to be implemented right away, so we can talk about foreign interference, influence, and that we can have accountability by those who are operating for foreign governments.”
Baxendale said, “We just need to know who everybody is and what their objectives are, and I think if they register under the Foreign Agency Registration Act, it allows our government to implement laws and to prosecute where people break those laws. So that’s a good start.”
Social Media Influencer: Implementing Bill C-70 to Combat the CCP’s Transnational Repression
Gongzi Shen, a Canadian independent commentator and social media influencer with nearly 800,000 YouTube followers, recently stated in an interview that Bill C-70 is an important legal tool against transnational repression. After seeing Shen Yun in Toronto in April of this year, he highly praised the performance for promoting Chinese culture and conveying universal values. He once said, “My greatest impression of the performance was that it conveyed universal values.”
Gongzi Shen, a Canadian independent commentator and social media influencer
Shen was deeply impressed by the performance’s segment exposing the CCP’s persecution of Falun Gong. He stated that the CCP suppresses beliefs that conflict with its ideology, and Shen Yun allows Western audiences to understand the harm this can cause. “That’s the value of the performance,” he said. He hopes more people will see Shen Yun.
Regarding the CCP’s attacks on Shen Yun, Shen stated that the CCP’s transnational repression takes many forms, including bomb threats, intimidation, surveillance, and harassment. “We’ve heard too much over the years. Simply condemning or protesting is no longer enough. We must lobby the government to raise awareness of the severity of the problem in mainstream society, and urge the government and parliament to assume their responsibility to protect citizens.”
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