“As the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission has pointed out, Chinese influence operations and United Front work are designed to be both opaque and complicated, “making those who seek to identify the negative effects of such influence vulnerable to accusations of prejudice.” But China’s main targets have been innocent Chinese, Uyghur, Tibetan, and Taiwanese people.
Other CAAFT (Chinese American Alliance for Trump) officers
In this report, Hark Herald will continue to expose the active role CAAFT (Chinese American Alliance For Trump) played in J6, including participation in at least one J6 planning meeting.
In addition, we will examine how United Front forms a complex ecosystem of access agents with its organizations cross-pollinating with each other.
Dongsheng Jia – The CAAFT Founding Member Who Participated in J6 Planning
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J6 Planning Meeting
On December 19, 2020, a meeting was held to prepare for J6.
Attendants included prominent Chinese dissidents in the US and Mr. Dongsheng Jia, a United Front organization leader.
Original Epoch Times Report on Dec 20, 2020: https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/20/12/22/n12637136.htm
Archived report: https://archive.ph/H7ofE
Original video embedded in this Epoch Times Report: https://youtu.be/jBbie22UPOk
Archived YouTube page:https://archive.ph/oaleQ
2. “Peaceful Reunification of Taiwan”
Who is Mr. Dongsheng Jia?
Hark Herald extracted the clip in which Dongsheng Jia self-identifies as the President of Era Alliance, a United Front organization in New York whose mission is to influence Taiwan to accept the framework of “peaceful reunification” proposed by President Xi. In the clip, he also urged the Taiwanese President to accept this “peace proposal”.
Original Video posted on the YouTube channel PeaceTV (Note, someone helped Mr. Jia turn the video private recently interestingly):
Archived YouTube page: https://archive.ph/VPFmw
In a December 23, 2021 report by USChinapress.com (侨报网), a United Front news site, Jia was again introduced as “the head of Era Alliance” so his pivotal role in this organization cannot be denied.
Original report: https://www.uschinapress.com/static/content/HS/2021-12-23/923578578527203328.html
Archived report page: https://archive.ph/50hcz
3. Campaigning for Trump and MAGA
Whilst Jia holds a significant position in Era Alliance, he is also known for his leadership role in CAAFT in which he and other officers including Daniel Lou have campaigned vigorously for Trump since 2016.
The registration record of CAAFT shows Jia as its CEO:
This picture taken in 2020 showed Jia campaigning for Trump with his CAAFT colleagues including Daniel Lou in the rain in New York City:
In the 2018 United States midterm elections, Jia led the CAAFT campaign for MAGA and Donald Trump.
Original report: https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/18/2/5/n10115909.htm
Archive: https://archive.ph/rIIm5
This video was taken when Jia and Daniel Lou (aka Xinyue Lou) kicked off the CAAFT 2018 midterm campaign for MAGA and Trump;
On July 5, 2019, Epoch Times featured a celebration by CAAFT, introducing both Daniel Lou and Jia as the co-founders and co-Chief Executive Officers of CAAFT. They introduced a slogan: Keep Trump Time, for their campaign.
Orignal report: https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/19/7/5/n11366056.htm
Archived report: https://archive.ph/DPGku
In this celebration, Jia dedicated a CAAFT banner to Trump, with the Keep Trump Time slogan:
This celebration and dedication of the banner to Trump took place less than 2 months after the non-partisan election watchdog Campaign Legal Center filed a complaint to FEC about campaign finance violations including the use of strawmen to funnel illegal Chinese money into US politics. Lou was named No. 2 on the list.
As the complaint was filed, the FBI also started its investigation:
On May 12, 2019, Miami Herald reported: Report: FBI Opens Foreign-Money Probe Into Li ‘Cindy’ Yang
“The FBI has opened a public corruption investigation into Republican donor and South Florida massage-parlor entrepreneur Li “Cindy” Yang, focusing on whether she illegally funneled money from China into the president’s re-election effort or committed other potential campaign-finance violations, the Miami Herald has learned.”
To access the archived report: https://archive.ph/UcTjB
But as Miami Herald reported on September 27, 2022: Republicans block probe of contributions by Chinese elites to Trump PAC through spa operator:
Elections finance law complaints against an Asian day-spa operator from South Florida who allegedly funneled contributions from Chinese elites, likely including foreign nationals, to a campaign committee backing then-President Donald Trump have quietly been dismissed. The dismissal by the Federal Elections Commission came despite a staff finding that laws likely were broken and that the matter merited the FEC’s full attention. The six-member panel split 3-3, as is its usual practice, on whether to proceed, with Democrats voting yes and Republicans saying no. Four votes are needed for a full investigation to occur.
To access the archive of this report: https://archive.ph/sztHU
4. A regular contributor to Epoch Times
Mr. Jia is a regular contributor to Epoch Times, which ironically brands itself as anti-CCP.
For example, on October 25, 2020 Epoch Times featured a pro-Trump rally organized by CAAFT in New York City. Jia was the contributor to the Epoch Times report.
Orignal Report: https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/20/10/28/n12507205.htm
Archive: https://archive.ph/BDYwq
In late December 2020, an itinerary was posted on a number of high-traffic Chinese online forums calling Chinese Americans to go to Washington DC on January 6.
The itinerary referred to this Oct 25, 2020 rally, to those who need to be picked up. Its first item told participants to gather at the location of the Oct 25 rally first.
To find more details about this itinerary, go to the Hark Herald report published on March 30, 2023.
After the 2020 General Election, CAAFT organized a number of “Stop the Steal” demonstrations.
As Epoch Times reported these demonstrations, Jia contributed pictures.
This picture posted by Epochs Time shows CAAFT bringing Chinese American kids to its “Stop the Steal” rallies. Again Jia contributed the picture.
Interestingly, leading United Front websites such as the US China Press (侨报) and Chinaqw (China Qiao Wang中国侨网), often report CAAFT events in tandem with Epoch Times, especially when the event was organized by Jia who also contributed pictures of the event to Epoch Times.
Here is an example of how Epoch Times reported in tandem with the US China Press (侨报网）on a CAAFT event organized by Jia.
On July 19, 2020, USChina Press reported on a pro-police demonstration organized by CAAFT to counter the Black Lives Matter movement.
Original report: https://www.uschinapress.com/static/content/HS/2020-07-20/734734865282637824.html
Archive: https://archive.ph/8VuVt
Although few participated, Epoch Times featured the same event one day after USChina Press did on July 20th:
Original report: https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/20/7/20/n12268876.htm
Archive: https://archive.ph/EgTct
To appreciate the close partnership between CAAFT and Epoch Times, go to the last Hark Herald report and watch how the co-CEO of CAAFT, Daniel Lou praised Epoch Times with praises as the model for Chinese media, linking it to the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation.
Jeffrey Liu – A CAAFT founding member and People’s Daily officer who CCP issued a stamp for
Jeffrey Liu is another founding member of CAAFT, who campaigned closely with Daniel Lou for MAGA and Trump.
In the previous report, we showed a video of the interview in which Jeffrey Liu took credit for helping Trump win.
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Stamps and Awards
Eight months later this interview, in July 2017, the Chinese Ministry of Postal Service issued a special edition of personalized stamps with Jeffrey Liu pictured on them.
Original report: http://www.usa-taishan.com/ts06page17.php
Archived link: https://archive.ph/6WTeC
2. People’s Daily Overseas COO (Chief Operation Officer)
On multiple occasions, Jeffrey Liu was introduced as the People’s Daily Overseas COO or People’s Daily New York Manager.
US Golden Megaphone
On February 23, 2018, the website haiwainet.cn reported Liu organized a competition for the “Golden Megaphone Award in the United States” (2018年首届美国华语金话筒).
The Golden Megaphone Award in the US was an imitation of the Golden Megaphone Award in China.
The Golden Megaphone in China started in 1993. It was launched by the Federation of Radio and Television Social Organizations of China (中国广播电影电视社会组织联合会).
In 2006, the Golden Megaphone in China changed from a bi-annual competition to an annual one. By the time it ended in 2015. Golden Megaphone Award in China had established itself as the most prestigious award for Chinese broadcasting professionals.
In 2018, Liu launched Golden Megaphone Award in the US. The competition was featured on the website of haiwainet.cn, which introduced Liu as the New York manager of People’s Daily.
In the end, Liu presented the top award to Ms. Na Liu who was later identified by the Chinese community as Jeffrey Liu’s daughter.
Haiwainet.cn
According to Baidu Baike, haiwainet.cn which was one of the sites that reported Liu’s competition is the official site and new media platform of People’s Daily Overseas.
After Xi came into power in 2012, CCP pushed hard to upgrade its online presence and cyber influence with new technologies. As a result, People’s Daily launched a number of initiatives including haiwainet.cn.
Note: Baidu operates under the tight oversight of CCP’s Propaganda Department. Baidu Baike’s explanation should be viewed as a reflection of CCP’s official points of view making it the most authoritative source to help understand institutions controlled by CCP.
Liu appears to be used to awarding himself and his family members.
This was him awarding himself entrepreneurial leadership in the US. According to the Chinese community Hark Herald is connected with, the entire scene of Liu carried in by a sedan chair was staged by Liu himself.
The Significance of Liu’s Connections with People’s Daily
Connections with the People’s Daily distinguish Liu.
The People’s Daily (人民日报) is the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
According to Professor Wu Guoguang, author of Command Communication: The Politics of Editorial Formulation in the People’s Daily, published by Cambridge University Press, p 195 – 196,
“The People’s Daily (Renmin Ribao) is the mouthpiece of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the top decision-making body in China, and is controlled by the Propaganda Department of the Central Committee. Editorials and commentaries in the People’s Daily represent the viewpoints of the Chinese leadership. Thus the People’s Daily is central to understanding the Chinese propaganda state, as well as elite politics. Information from the top must be taken as a “command,” and the data flow from the top to the newspaper is the process of “command communication.” The stress on “command” also means that information from the top should strictly control the editorial process, not just deepen the understanding of commentators and editors. The party-state leaders and CCP Propaganda Department directly supervise editors, who must act according to instructions.”
Note: Professor Wu Guoguang is a faculty of the Department of Political Science and History at the University of Victoria in Canada, and also the China Chair at the Centre for Asia-Pacific Initiatives.
Once a member of The Central Policy Group on political reform during the tenure of Premier Zhao Ziyang, with an MA and Ph.D. from Princeton University, Professor Wu is widely recognized as the world’s top expert on CCP institutional culture and methods of operations.
Access Agents – A Key Concept to Understanding United Front Operations
What is an access agent?
On April 24, 2019, Miami Herald Published How a Chinese Communist Party promoter tied to Cindy Yang joined the Trump campaign
Joseph Augustyn, a 28-year veteran of the Central Intelligence Agency’s Directorate of Operations in East Asia, shared how CCP Intelligence operates around the access agents:
“The Chinese are famous for their access agents,” Augustyn said. “An access agent in the world of espionage is not really a spy but someone who has access who can provide information on people.” For example, an access agent inside the RNC might be able to identify a person close to the president or his security team who has a “vulnerability” — a drinking problem, a lot of debt, an affinity for child pornography, an affair — and feed that to an intelligence agent, who could use it as leverage to gain cooperation, Augustyn said.
What kind of people are ideal access agents for CCP?
“It’s a new world…It’s not communism in the Cold War sense. It’s communism/capitalism, under a dictatorial regime.”
Chinese capitalists have become the vanguard of the Communist Party’s global influence under Xi’s business-diplomacy agenda. The party recruits from its growing capitalist class on the mainland and abroad to nudge high-level international contacts and friends toward support of China’s foreign policy initiatives.
The Communist Party has approached well-connected Chinese Americans to work for the government by offering handsome rewards… “
Liu – A good case study
The concept of access agent is key to understanding the United Front operations. Jeffrey Liu is a master of forming networks around access agents.
In the following, Hark Herald will reveal how such networks form and function through two case studies:
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- Shuibu Association and;
- the steering committee of the United Nations Summit, an event organized by Jeffrey Liu in 2018
(I) Shuibu Overseas Chinese Association (Shuibu Association)
On October 21, 2017, the Guangdong Shuibu Overseas Chinese General Association (Shuibu Association), was formed in New York City. The Shuibu Association is one of the largest United Front organizations in the US. Its establishment was described as a “tribute to the CCP 19th National Congress”. Mr. Jeffrey Liu was named Shuibu Association’s first president.
People’s Daily reporter Mr. Li Xiaohong, covered the event. In China, People’s Daily reporters only write about events important to CCP.
A CCTV (China Central Television) anchor Ms. Dong Tao hosted the event.
Ms. Dong’s hosting proved the Shuibu Association’s significance to CCP and its standing within the Chinese community.
Like People’s Daily reporters, CCTV anchors only cover events important to CCP.
On the very next day, People’s Daily reporter Mr. Li Xiao Hong’s coverage was featured in the paper’s official site, mentioning Jeffrey Liu as the President of the Shuibu Association.
Original report: http://world.people.com.cn/n1/2017/1022/c1002-29601817.html
Archive: https://archive.ph/jNGsf
Sinotimes (美中时报), another important media controlled by United Front also featured the event: http://www.sinoustimes.com/contents/70/23000.html
Mr. Dongsheng Jia was also a guest at the event:
Below is the screenshot of the report about the Shuibu Association’s inauguration, posted on the site of PeaceEverTV, a media entity related to United Front.
Mr. Li Xiao Hong, the People’s Daily reporter appeared to be a co-author of this report which called the inauguration “a tribute to the CCP 19th National Congress.”
Hark Herald Press kept a screenshot of the report, which could no longer be found as PeaceeverTV took down its site:
(II) United Nations Summit
In 2018, Liu launched another event dubbed United Nations Summit.
On the webpage for the Organizational Committee of Summit, Jeffrey Liu is introduced as the COO (Chief Operating Officer) of People’s Daily Overseas.
Original Link: https://www.unchinausa.com/copy-of
Archived Link: https://archive.ph/HWxBe
Other members of the Organizational Committee include people who often appear alongside Liu in other United Front events. In this report, we will go through three of them:
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- Felix W. Ortiz is an American politician who formerly represented New York’s 51st Assembly District and served as Assistant Speaker of the New York State Assembly, in office from January 1 1995 to January 1, 2021.
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Mr. Ortiz was a special guest at the inauguration of the Shuibu Association.
At the inauguration, he was invited to the stage to address the audience.
Mr. Ortiz is no stranger to the United Front circle.
For example, on June 2, 2017, Mr. Ortiz held a fundraiser with United Front luminaries in NYC including Jeffrey Liu and John Lam at the Golden Unicorn Restaurant.
Archived page: https://archive.ph/vyKe8
The relationship appears to be fruitful.
On Oct 20, 2016, Mr. Ortiz was hired as an honorary professor of the East China University of Political Science and Law.
Original report: https://www.lvgchina.com/plus/view.php?aid=97
Archived report: https://archive.ph/74yRz
Note: East China University of Political Science and Law is an institution dedicated to training lawyers and law enforcement professionals for CCP. Most of China’s human rights abuses are attributable to its law enforcement.
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- Mr. Long Deng
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Founder of iFresh, an oriental supermarket chain, Mr. Deng is widely promoted inside the Chinese community as a business genius.
In 2014, Mr. Deng became the first Chinese American to chair the New York Republican Party Finance Committee. Chinese internet news portals such as Sohu reported it. The following is a screenshot of the Sohu report:
Original report: http://news.sohu.com/20140928/n404716699.shtml
Archived report: https://archive.ph/DuxXD
The night of celebration when Deng became the NY GOP Finance Committee Chair.
As the Chair of the NY GOP Finance Committee, Mr. Deng cultivates ties with high-profile politicians in the Republican Party including Mr. Kevin McCarthy. This picture was taken on October 5, 2021, when Deng was with Kevin McCarthy at a party fundraising event.
Original report: https://www.jendow.com.tw/wiki/%E9%84%A7%E9%BE%8D
This was Mr. Deng having a meeting with Mr. Jia Qinglin, CCP Politburo Standing Committee Member 2002-2012.
During his tenure, Jia Qinglin was the ultimate boss of United Front. Getting such a meeting and photo ops with someone at the rank of Jia Qinglin would be next to impossible unless one is important enough to CCP.
Here is a more detailed biography of Jia Qinglin compiled by China Today:
Broad connections to people in power define an access agent.
However, Long Deng’s business genius may not be as stellar as the Chinese media portray.
On June 1, 2022, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued an allegation against Long Deng: SEC Charges New York Grocery Supermarket Chain and CEO for Financial Fraud
“On May 31, 2022, the Securities and Exchange Commission charged iFresh, Inc. (iFresh), a public issuer and a grocer that operates wholesale businesses and retail supermarkets across New York, Massachusetts, and Florida, with repeatedly filing materially inaccurate financial statements that failed to fully disclose related party transactions connected to its CEO, Long Deng (Deng). The SEC also charged Deng for his alleged misconduct related to the scheme.”
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- John Lam
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Also described by media outlets in China as a visionary business genius, John Lam is the founder of the Lam Group,
Unlike Jeffrey Liu, whose alleged business accomplishments are hard to verify, Lam does own a portfolio of successful businesses which he built from scratch. His business achievements make Lam an ideal recruiting target for United Front which is constantly looking for access agents.
On Dec 19, 2019, Sinousetimes (美中时报) reported that Lam was named among the 40 Chinese American Who’s Who by China.
Original Report: http://www.sinoustimes.com/contents/325/30818.html
Archived Report: https://archive.ph/9N6lF
Lam’s sphere of influence has an unmatched broad reach in the United Front world.
He is the Honorary President of the Shuibu Association.
Additionally, Lam collaborates closely with other important operatives including Long Deng, Jeffrey Liu, and Daniel Lou.
In 2004, John Lam and Long Deng launched the US-Chinese Chamber of Commerce(美国华商会), with Lam as its vice chair.
According to a November 16, 2016 report posted by Chinaqw (侨网，http://www.chinaqw.com), on Nov 12, a delegate led by Lam and Deng was received by the United Front director of the Municipality of Shanghai.
It needs to be noted as the most important metropolitan of China, Shanghai is also known as the birthplace and the cradle of the CCP intelligence, where both CCP and the predecessor of the United Front started in the 1920s.
CCP officials often take their appointments to Shanghai as prestigious stepping stones to elevate themselves to CCP national leadership in Beijing.
Original report: http://www.chinaqw.com/gqqj/2015/11-16/70573.shtml
Archived page: https://archive.ph/9S9ch
According to a picture posted on the Lam Group site on Nov 16, Jeffrey Liu was also on the trip
On January 20th, 2017, a dozen officers of the US-Chinese Chamber of Commerce including both Deng and Lam attended the Trump inauguration. The following picture with Edward Cox was taken before the inauguration:
Original report: https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/17/1/21/n8728580.htm
Holding a broad array of powerful United Front positions, Lam is in a league of his own
1. 2018 United Front Restructuring to align itself with Xi’s new global influence strategy
(a) Dual or Multiple Offices – How CCP governs
In order to maintain “the absolute leadership of the Party” (坚持党对各项事业的绝对领导), the CCP has established a complex and often perplexing power structure. One of the most commonly observed formats is the master-slave relationship between the Party and corresponding government agencies:
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- In this relationship, the master is represented by a Party Committee or a Party Department, which establishes policy guidelines for the areas under its oversight. The Party Committee or Party Department holds veto power over the government offices assigned to it.
- Each government office is assigned to a specific Party Committee or Party Department to receive policy guidelines, placing them in a subordinate position in this master-slave relationship.
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The United Front operates within this master-slave format. This structure serves several clear purposes:
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- It enables the Chinese Communist Party to engage with external entities under the guise of the Chinese Government.
- It adds an additional layer of party control over government offices. In the event of any disputes, different government and party offices will defer to the party secretary for final decisions.
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CCP United Front Operating Structure
Note:
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- Heads of the National People’s Congress, State Council, and CPPCC are all Politburo Standing Committee members. Politburo Standing Committee members are the most senior CCP members.
- The General Secretariat functions as the executive office of Politburo and its Standing Committee;
- The State Council is the national government of China. Below the State Council are provincial governments, municipal governments, county governments, and township governments. In addition, the municipal governments of Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Chongqing are elevated to be the peer of the provincial governments as CCP considers these four municipalities politically and economically important to China.
- The OCAO director is by default the deputy director of the United Front Work Department.
(b) March 2018 United Front Restructuring
By March 2018, the CCP completed a significant restructuring of the United Front, aiming to better align it with Xi Jinping’s vision of projecting China’s global influence. As part of this reorganization, the boundaries between the United Front Work Department and its corresponding government agencies were redrawn:
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- The United Front Work Department, as the CCP department responsible for “United Front Work,” saw an expansion of its scope and responsibilities during the March 2018 restructuring.
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It is important for our readers to understand that United Front Work encompasses not only Overseas Chinese initiatives but also other areas such as “Religious Work,” “Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and Overseas Liaison Work,” “New Social Strata Individuals Work,” and more.
To put it more straightforwardly, the goal of “Overseas Chinese Work” is to leverage Chinese students and immigrants in the West as a means to challenge Western democracies.
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- In this restructuring, many United Front functions that were once rolled under the government were consolidated into the United Front Work Department. After Mao, CCP moved many party functions into the government as a way to transform China into a modern state, from an extreme form of One Party Rule. This move confirmed that not only has Xi decided to go back, but also United Front is pivotal to Xi’s overall political strategy. Previously, the management of United Front organizations worldwide was primarily considered a government responsibility. Hence, at each level of the government, the CCP maintained an Overseas Chinese Affairs Office (OCAO), granting it a certain level of authority.However, according to an announcement by Xinhua News Agency on March 21, 2018, the CCP stripped the OCAO of its previous functions. Some of these functions were transferred to the United Front Work Department, while others were assigned to the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese (ACFROC), which we will discuss in the next point.As a result, the OCAO became little more than a symbolic office, lacking substantial responsibilities, with its external affairs now managed by the United Front Work Department.To accommodate the functions and personnel transferred from the former OCAO, the United Front Work Department established two new bureaus:
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- The new Ninth and Tenth Bureau for “Overseas Chinese Work”
- The new Eleventh and Twelfth Bureau for “Religious Work.
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- As mentioned earlier, another entity that obtained increased authority in this restructuring is ACFROC, which assumed all the remaining functions of the former OCAO that were not taken up by the United Front Work Department.The CCP designates ACFROC as a People’s Group (人民团体) and maintains its affiliation with the State Council. ACFROC serves as both an information-gathering hub for the Central Committee and a conduit for conveying CCP directives to overseas Chinese organizations.The significance of ACFROC’s position is evident in its direct reporting to the CCP General Secretariat, bypassing the State Council to which it is formally assigned. This arrangement underscores the importance and influence attributed to ACFROC within the CCP’s power structure.
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United Front Org Chart Before Restructuring
United Front Org Chart After restructuring
(c) The implication of the 2018 United Front Restructuring
Alex Joske, a leading United Front expert, wrote in his May 9, 2019 report published with the James Town Foundation: Reorganizing the United Front Work Department: New Structures for a New Era of Diaspora and Religious Affairs Work :
“the CCP’s “Overseas Chinese work” has become an area of greater emphasis for the CCP—even as it has come under greater international scrutiny by democracies concerned about foreign political interference efforts. In 2015, Xi Jinping emphasized Chinese students abroad as a new focus of united front work, and the CCP continues to call on ethnic Chinese to support its growing international ambitions”
“Greater responsibilities may now fall under the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese (ACFROC), a key united front organization active overseas. The March 2018 restructuring document stated that: “the OCAO’s responsibilities for friendship with overseas Chinese associations will now be exercised by ACFROC”…Numerous OCAO officials have also been reassigned to positions in ACFROC. They include the deputy head of ACFROC’s liaison department—who trained and worked as a military intelligence officer before being posted to Canada and the United States as an OCAO official …”
“The Ninth Bureau is [staffed] with cadres [who] had a wealth of overseas experience because many of its officials had been posted overseas…
The new Tenth Bureau, known as the Overseas Chinese Affairs Bureau (Qiaowu Shiwu Ju, 侨务事务局), is headed by the previous head of the OCAO Propaganda Department. The backgrounds of Tenth Bureau personnel suggest that it has taken up the OCAO’s media, educational and cultural responsibilities. This includes managing the OCAO’s international media network, China News Service—which covertly runs overseas media organizations.”
2. Below is a partial examination of Lam’s United Front-related positions in light of the 2018 United Front restructuring
i. Lam is the honorary chairman of 2 regional ACFROC offices in China.
On the biography page dedicated to Lam by US-China Restaurant Alliance, Lam holds honorary chairman positions in 2 ACFROC (All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese) offices in China.
As we just discussed, the importance of ACFROC was elevated after the United Front restructuring.
It is rare for someone in the United States to hold such positions in mainland China, even if they are honorary. We could not find another senior United Front operative in the US receiving such appointments, which was a major vote of confidence by United Front.
archived report: https://archive.ph/sKGAc
ii Guangdong Association of America Corp (Guangdong Association)
On December 30th, 2016, the Guangdong Federation of Overseas Chinese Association was founded. Lam was named its Director General.
This footage shows the moment when officials from the Chinese Consulate General swore in officers of the Guang Dong Association on Dec 30th, 2016. Playing in the background was “Song of Motherland”, China’s most famous patriotic song.
On Dec 16, 2019, Lam was appointed again as its Director General for a second term.
According to thevoiceofchinese.com which featured this second-term appointment in 2019, sending congratulations to Lam’s team were:
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- Six regional ACFROC offices, whose purviews increased after the United Front restructuring;
- Nine regional offices under the Tenth Bureau, which we discussed above, a new office created to focus on propaganda.
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The second term of Lam’s tenure started in 2019, not long after the 2018 United Front restructuring.
The long list of ACFROC offices affirmed United Front’s confidence in the Guangdong Association. Whilst the long list of offices under the Tenth Bureau indicated that the Guangdong Association might play a major role to grow overseas Chinese media to spread CCP Propaganda.
iii. Chinese American Culture and Art Association (CACAA)
Mr. Lam is also the Chairman of the Chinese American Culture and Art Association (CACAA). CACAA’s website has been deleted recently. Fortunately, Hark Herald preserved an archived page showing Mr. Lam as its chairman.
According to its webpage before deletion, CACAA is a 501(C) (3) charitable organization founded in 1998. CCTV North America is a regular co-organizer of CACAA events, which the ACFROC regularly attends.
As explained before, CCTV is the prime state-run media controlled by CCP. Alignment with CCTV ensures CACAA a prestigious position in CCP’s global influence campaign.
iv. Yan Xiong, a dissident or a United Front operative?
On March 16, 2022, NY Times Reported:
Chinese Officer Charged With Harassing N.Y. Congressional Candidate
“Yan Xiong, a Chinese dissident who immigrated to America and is now a political candidate in New York, was targeted by an agent of the Chinese government, federal prosecutors said.”
Interestingly, Yan Xiong, once a dissident and student leader is now a frequent VIP guest of United Front events.
On February 17, 2022, Radio Free Asia reported that Yan Xiong attended a meeting held by the Chinese Consulate General In New York to block the establishment of a monument dedicated to the Tiananmen Square Massacre. In the picture, Yan Xiong was seated among CCP officials.
Hark Herald obtained the video footage of an event to celebrate the Mid Autumn Festival on September 22, 2021. Mid-Autumn is a traditional Chinese Festival for family members and trusted friends to gather.
The event was held by the World Chinese Culture and Art Foundation, of which Daniel Lou is the Director General.
In the previous report dated March 30, 2023, we covered Daniel Lou, the founding officer of CAAFT, and an important member of the United Front circle.
John Lam and Mr. Yan Xiong were special guests at the event.
Original video:
Archived Page of the YouTube video: https://archive.ph/XCTQP
eStarTV was the media team that shot this footage. It also handled the PRC 73rd Anniversary celebration for the Chang-le Association.
Chang-le Association gained high publicity recently after being busted by the FBI for hosting secret police offices.
On April 17, 2023, New York Times Reported F.B.I. Arrests Two on Charges Tied to Chinese Police Outpost in New York, Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn charged the men with conspiring with the Chinese government and destroying evidence:
“Mr. Lu…[and] Mr. Chen …were released on bail after appearances before a magistrate judge on Monday afternoon.
…In 2018 IRS filings, Mr. Lu was listed as the president of a nonprofit organization called the America Changle Association NY, whose offices housed the police outpost.“
v. Political Campaigns
Lam is involved actively involved in numerous political campaigns for a broad range of candidates that include both GOP, Dem, and even Forward Party.
This was Lam discussing how to help Mr. Yin Dao get elected in the City Council election in New York.
Lam campaigned for Andrew Yang too.
vi. Met With Everyone, including Tao Liu
On October 11, 2022, ProPublica published The Globetrotting Con Man and Suspected Spy Who Met With President Trump
It was an investigative report about a Chinese conman Tao Liu, who is now under arrest for money laundering:
“Tao Liu’s criminal odyssey took him from money laundering in Mexico to a massive scam in China to Trump’s exclusive New Jersey golf club. Investigators believed he may have infiltrated U.S. politics as part of a Chinese intelligence operation.”
“…the FBI was monitoring him because of suspicions that he was working with Chinese spies on a covert operation to buy access to U.S. political figures.”
“Photos on Liu’s social media show him rubbing elbows with political figures. Among them… Assistant Speaker of the New York State Assembly Félix W. Ortiz; New York Mayor Bill de Blasio; and Chair of the New York Republican Party Edward F. Cox and Lara Trump. Ortiz gave Liu an award at Blue Ocean’s launch ceremony.”
It is worth noting that during Tao Liu’s account of his efforts to gain influence in American politics, he presented a photograph featuring himself alongside Long Deng, the Chair of the Republican Party New York Financial Committee, and John Lam.
Daniel Lou also appeared on Tao Liu’s journey to obtain access to US politics.
Conclusion
- United Front operatives play a crucial role as access agents, forming a complex network that serves as the foundation of United Front’s operations. It is important to highlight that at least one senior United Front operative actively participated in the planning of J6, an aspect that the J6 Committee failed to address. So far, there is no evidence to suggest that the Federal authorities or mainstream media are investigating this involvement.
- CAAFT, an organization closely intertwined with J6, was established in 2016 by senior United Front operatives, leveraging extensive networks of well-connected access agents. Raising public awareness about this issue is of utmost urgency, particularly as the United Front has shifted its focus to infiltrating and co-opting the anti-communist right in Western countries.
- CAAFT openly campaigned in support of MAGA, while Guo Wengui’s “anti-CCP” movement, funded by the United Front, collaborated closely with Steve Bannon and the MAGA movement. The New Federal State of China, founded by Bannon and Guo, has become a significant sponsor of CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference).
- The Republican National Committee appears to be a clear target for United Front operatives, which aligns with findings from the KGB. According to Yuri Bezmenov, the KGB discovered in the 1970s that infiltrating the anti-communist right was easier than infiltrating the left.
- The ineffective approach to tackling the United Front issue stems from an outdated Cold War policy that fails to recognize United Front as an integral part of CCP Intelligence. This policy was established during a time when China was seen as a quasi-ally against the Soviet Union. However, in light of China’s current alignment with Russia, maintaining such a Cold War policy no longer makes sense.
- Addressing this Cold War legacy is essential in finding solutions to a wide range of issues, including police station influence, technology theft, and Confucius Institutes. Previous reports from Hark Herald have revealed that United Front operatives demonstrate little regard for the law, as evidenced by examples like Lou boasting about Beijing’s master plan despite being named in a campaign finance violation complaint to the FEC, and Guo’s followers persistently disregarding court orders, assaulting the US legal system. United Front and its operatives pose a clear and present danger to our democracy.
- On April 19, 2023, Josh Rogin of the Washington Post wrote: Chinese police stations in NYC are part of a vast influence operation
Confronting CCP influence operations is crucial to guarding U.S. sovereignty and protecting vulnerable people from persecution. At the same time, the United States must preserve its own character as an open and tolerant society.”
- As the 2024 elections approach, the same United Front agents who spread disinformation during the 2020 campaign have resurfaced, many feeling emboldened as they have faced no consequences. It is our hope that we will be more prepared this time around.
Hark Herald will continue this series, shedding light on more aspects of this insidious campaign.
Stay tuned.
