Witness to House: Protecting Shen Yun Performers From Threats, Attacks Must Be ‘a Priority’

Peter Mattis, an expert on U.S.–China relations, says threats against Shen Yun performers throughout the United States must be investigated as a “priority” for both local and federal authorities, as he testified at a Wednesday House Committee hearing on the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) efforts to infiltrate and influence the United States, titled “Defending America from the Chinese Communist Party’s Political Warfare, Part I.”

Mr. Mattis, who is the president of the Jamestown Foundation, responded to a question from Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), who says she has heard of several threats and attacks against performers of the popular traditional Chinese dance show, which seeks to portray the culture and traditional dance of China before Communism.

Spokespersons for Shen Yun have explained that the threats are made because many of the producers and artists at Shen Yun Performing Arts are practitioners of Falun Gong, a peaceful spiritual practice that continues to be severely persecuted by the CCP in China. Shen Yun performers have been threatened and attacked in the United States by sources allegedly acting in conjunction with the Chinese Communist regime.

Congresswoman Norton also said theaters in the United States have “received emails threatening mass shootings and bombings if they refuse to cancel Shen Yun performances.” Fortunately, any such threats made against Shen Yun Performing Arts to date have turned out to be false, though the company has reported instances of their tour buses having their tires slashed.

Mr. Mattis responded by telling the House committee that not only should local and federal law enforcement investigate these crimes as a high priority, but that China also needs to do the same instead of offering a dismissive “shoulder shrug.”