A Chinese film festival in the U.S. was forced to cancel this week due to harassment backed by the Chinese government against the organizer, filmmakers, and their families.
The inaugural IndieChina Film Festival was set to run from Nov. 8 to 15 in New York City. Organizer Zhu Rikun, a Chinese producer and filmmaker, fled China in 2014 after authorities shut down two of his film festivals back home.
Zhu primarily self-funded this festival, bolstered by small donations, to create a vital platform for independent Chinese filmmakers in the U.S. These filmmakers often face severe censorship in China, forcing them to share their work in secret and sometimes even sacrificing their freedom for their art. For instance, filmmaker Chen Pinlin was sentenced to three years in prison in January for producing a documentary about the “White Paper” protests that led to the end of China’s oppressive “zero Covid” pandemic policy in 2022.
The film festival was poised to showcase over two dozen independent Chinese-language films and documentaries that delve into critical themes, from social issues to natural disasters and the avant-garde art movement. As stated on its website, “The festival transcends mere screenings; it is a dynamic space for ideas, resilience, memory, and identity. It pays tribute to the bravery of Chinese independent filmmakers who operate outside the studio system — often with limited resources and in challenging circumstances — to share personal, political, and experimental narratives that capture the rich complexity of contemporary Chinese life.”
With tickets sold for months, excitement about the festival was building. Yet, in recent days, filmmakers from China and Europe, who planned to attend and showcase their work in New York, began informing Zhu that their trips were canceled. They urged him not to screen their films, but without providing clear explanations. Zhu conveyed to Nikkei Asia that he himself had also received persistent messages that pressured him to cancel the event altogether. Furthermore, his family and friends in China experienced similar verbal intimidation.
Zhu announced last weekend he was suspending the festival just two days before its highly anticipated opening night. He described this cancellation as an “excruciating decision,” affirming that it was not made “out of fear or submission.” Instead, he emphasized the importance of safety, stating, “Had I proceeded with the festival, anyone involved — directors, forum participants, volunteers, and even audience members — could have faced potential threats or harassment.”
Zhu could only hope that the cancellation “will stop certain unknown forces from harassing all directors, guests, former staff, volunteers, including my friends and family, associated with the festival.”
In light of these developments, he has begun the process of refunding attendees who had purchased tickets. Since he prepaid for the venue for a week and cannot recuperate those funds, he intends to organize a private gathering for a select few who are still willing to support him.
Although Zhu is hesitant to directly point fingers at the Chinese government, it is undeniable that the cancellation of the festival is a direct consequence of the transnational repression carried out by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Transnational repression, as defined by the U.S. Department of Justice, encompasses a variety of tactics employed by foreign governments to extend their reach beyond borders, “harming, intimidating, threatening, harassing, or coercing individuals.” Those most often targeted include political dissidents and activists, journalists, political opponents, and religious and ethnic minorities, as well as members of diaspora and exile communities.
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (UCIRF) describes the Chinese government stands out as the “most prolific, sophisticated, far-reaching, and comprehensive” perpetrator of transnational repression globally. In its 2025 annual report, UCIRF recommends that the U.S. Department of State designate China as a Country of Particular Concern.
China’s transnational repression tactics are alarming and extensive, including the establishment of over 100 secret police stations in more than 50 countries, including the United States. This invasive strategy also involves recruiting agents or spies to monitor and silence critics, dissidents, and anyone the regime perceives as a threat. In a shocking case in 2022, five individuals, including three former U.S. government employees, Derrick Taylor and Matthew Ziburis, were indicted for stalking and spying on U.S.-based dissidents at the behest of the Chinese government. Among the targeted individuals was the father of U.S. figure skater Alysa Liu, a man who participated in the 1989 pro-democracy Tiananmen Square protests.
Another transnational repression tactic Beijing increasingly resorts to involves issuing cross-border bounties and arrest warrants. In July, Hong Kong authorities announced a bounty for 19 activists residing overseas, accusing them of breaching the national security law imposed by Beijing. This announcement marks the fourth round of bounties issued by the Hong Kong government since 2020, targeting a total of 34 pro-democracy advocates. One prominent figure among these is Joseph Tay King-Kei, a Hong Kong activist and politician now living in Canada.
Tay previously campaigned for a spot in the Canadian parliament and lost the election. During his campaign, Canadian police provided his family with round-the-clock protection due to the relentless Chinese-language-based online harassment they faced. Tay emphasized the severity of the situation in an interview with Nikkei Asia that “Transnational repression is not merely an abstract concept; it is aggressive and sophisticated.”
This week, China’s state-owned Central Television (CCTV) aired a video targeting Puma Shen, a legislator from Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). The video featured quotes from Chinese legal scholars who suggested that Beijing should issue a global arrest warrant for Shen through Interpol and revealed personal information about Shen’s family. In response, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) condemned Beijing’s threats, calling them a “blatant violation of international law and a serious assault on human rights.”
The urgent need to confront the serious implications of China’s transnational repression cannot be overstated. Recent events have starkly illustrated the extremes to which the CCP will go to extend its influence and suppress dissent. No nation is safe from Beijing’s overreach, as the regime’s repression knows no borders.
Free nations need to come together to form a united front, imposing significant legal, diplomatic, and financial repercussions on the regime to stop its transnational repression. Otherwise, the CCP will continue to disregard individual rights, flout international law, and show contempt for the sovereignty of other countries.
