Frequently asked questions about the China Targets investigation

What is the China Targets investigation?

China Targets is a cross-border investigation led by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists that sheds new light on China’s campaign to crack down on regime critics around the world, and the ineffective response of authorities in democracies where many dissidents seek refuge. Interviews with more than 100 victims in 23 countries, confidential Chinese documents and other evidence, show how Chinese and Hong Kong authorities have applied domestic repression tactics, like harassment and surveillance, to people living overseas. The investigation also reveals how the Chinese government uses intergovernmental institutions such as the U.N. and Interpol to go after its detractors, and how local law enforcement in some host countries have helped shield President Xi Jinping from dissent during state visits by detaining some activists before they could protest.

What is transnational repression?

Transnational repression is when a government reaches beyond its borders to target, censor, threaten or harm dissidents in other parts of the world. Human rights advocates regard China’s repression strategy as one of the most sophisticated due to its sheer scale and wide-ranging tactics. Under Xi, who came to power as the leader of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in 2012, the campaign to quell dissent abroad has ramped up, experts say. Officials for government agencies such as the Ministry of State Security and the Ministry of Public Security appear to be involved, as well as the United Front Work Department, which is tasked with building and maintaining support for the CCP both at home and overseas.

Who is at risk of China’s repression campaign?

The Chinese government focuses on political dissidents from mainland China and Hong Kong; Tibetan and Taiwanese independence advocates; practitioners of the Falun Gong spiritual movement; and Uyghurs, a mostly-Muslim Turkic ethnic group. Chinese authorities view each of these groups as a threat to national unity and security due to their diverging ideologies or cultural practices.

What are some of the key findings of the China Targets investigation?

ICIJ’s investigation reveals the mechanics behind China’s complex repression campaign. Scores of victims told ICIJ and its 42 media partners they have been subject to surveillance, spying, online smear campaigns, hacking attempts and physical threats by Chinese officials or their proxies. The intimidation extends to their loved ones in China and Hong Kong who face harassment, repeated interrogation and sometimes detention.

China Targets probes the often weak response of democratic nations and international bodies, such as the U.N. and Interpol, to these repressive tactics. ICIJ found that more than half the 106 Chinese nongovernmental organizations that have consultative status at the U.N. — which allows them to attend and present statements at U.N. meetings, including at the Human Rights Council — are closely connected to the Chinese government or the Chinese Communist Party. Since 2018, the number of Chinese NGOs with consultative status has almost doubled, ICIJ found. Experts said the Chinese government deploys these organizations to intimidate human rights advocates and ensure they no longer attend U.N. sessions for fear of retaliation.

China Targets also shows how Chinese authorities have weaponized red notices — alerts that Interpol circulates among police forces around the world — to target regime critics, prominent businesspeople and members of persecuted religious minorities who have sought refuge overseas. The project also exposes a pattern among law enforcement agencies in several countries, including France, Thailand and Nepal, of shielding Xi from protests during diplomatic visits by detaining activists.

How did the Chinese government respond to the investigation’s findings?

A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy to the U.S. said “there is no such thing as ‘reaching beyond borders’ to target so-called dissidents and overseas Chinese.”

“The notion of ‘transnational repression’ is a groundless accusation, fabricated by a handful of countries and organizations to slander China,” the spokesperson said.

In a statement to ICIJ, a spokesperson for Hong Kong’s Security Bureau defended as “necessary and legitimate” the authorities’ responsibility to pursue those who violate Hong Kong’s national security laws and have fled overseas. Hong Kong’s law enforcement agencies “will definitely pursue them in accordance with the law and take every measure, including cutting off their funding sources, so as to prevent and suppress them from continuing to engage in acts and activities endangering national security,” the spokesperson said.

What documents were used in the China Targets investigation?

The investigation draws on a cache of Chinese police records that span from 2013 to 2018, provided to ICIJ by Adrian Zenz, director of China Studies at the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation. The records leaked from the public security bureaus of Tekes county and Shufu county, Xinjiang, include internet police bulletins and domestic security guidelines that instruct officers to detect and stop individuals and activities deemed as threats to domestic security.

The reporters compared the tactics described in the internal documents with the experiences of the 105 targets, and corroborated their testimonies examining reports and other communication with local law enforcement, Google notifications warning about hacking attempts, secret audio and video recordings of interrogations by Chinese police, and phone calls and text messages between 11 security officers in China and nine targets overseas, as well as other evidence provided by the interviewees.

A former agent for China’s secret police, known as Eric, also provided files to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), which shared them with ICIJ and its partners. The files, which include photographs and text messages between Eric and his superiors, detail the daily operations of Chinese spies targeting dissidents in countries such as Thailand and Cambodia.

Reporters also reviewed internal correspondence between China’s permanent mission to the U.N. and U.N. officials from 2001 to 2020, provided by Emma Reilly, a former U.N. human rights officer; confidential Interpol files; and police reports and court verdicts shared with ICIJ by activists who were detained by local authorities when Xi visited their country.

What data was used in the China Targets investigation?

To understand the methods behind China’s global repression campaign, ICIJ reviewed the testimonies of 105 targets, including Hong Kongers, Tibetans, Uyghurs and other minorities, and identified the tactics Chinese officials or their proxies used to stifle their voices. ICIJ also reviewed several reports and data compiled by human rights organizations and media reports.

To investigate the extent to which the U.N. has failed to protect human rights defenders who challenge China at the U.N., ICIJ and its media partners analyzed the public statements, budgets and online presence of 106 U.N.-accredited Chinese NGOs. ICIJ’s review of statements was based on data compiled by a human rights NGO, International Service for Human Rights, which recently published its own analysis of government-organized nongovernmental organizations, also known as GONGOs, at the U.N.

To explore how China exploits Interpol, ICIJ and its media partners reviewed extradition records and other documents concerning nearly 50 red notice targets and interviewed eight of those individuals. ICIJ focused on suspects who were subject to a red notice after the 2016 creation of an Interpol task force assigned to screen red notices before authorizing their publication in the organization’s databases.

Who are ICIJ’s partners on the China Targets investigation?

The investigation was led by ICIJ, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit global network of reporters, in collaboration with 42 media partners including The Washington Post, Le Monde, Radio France, Göteborgs-Posten, The Guardian, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Stuff, Paper Trail Media, El País, Newstapa, Código Vidrio, Deutsche Welle Turkey and Radio Free Asia. A total of 104 journalists from 30 countries took part in the collaboration.

How can I join an ICIJ investigation?

ICIJ welcomes new offers to collaborate with journalists and prioritizes those with a proven record of high-quality investigations. Journalists seeking to partner with ICIJ should email [email protected]. ICIJ only partners with journalists.

How do I get in touch with ICIJ if I want to share a tip or documents?

ICIJ encourages whistleblowers to submit all forms of content that might be of public concern — documents, photos, video clips as well as story tips — and to do so securely. We accept all information that relates to potential wrongdoing by corporate, government or public service entities in any country, anywhere in the world. We do our utmost to guarantee the confidentiality of our sources.

Find out how to contact us securely here.