How China uses invisible connections to neutralize political opposition
In short: The United Front Work Department operates through a web of influence that is often difficult to prove. By targeting ethnic communities and elite individuals, the agency seeks to co-opt potential allies and ensure that critics of the Chinese Communist Party remain divided and neutralized.
At the core of the Chinese Communist Party's strategy is the United Front Work Department (UFWD). Its main goal involves absorbing and disarming any potential threats to the party's power. While much of its focus remains on managing opposition groups within China, the UFWD also manages a significant foreign influence mission. This includes 'overseas Chinese work,' which targets ethnic Chinese individuals and communities living abroad to ensure they support or are useful to CCP interests. This strategy involves coordinating various affiliated organisations that execute influence operations against foreign states. These entities may have direct or indirect links to the broader party tactics.
The agency's reach is extensive, aiming at non-CCP individuals or groups possessing political, business, religious, or scholarly clout. This includes work related to religious affairs, ethnic minorities, and 'new social strata.' The UFWD also manages relations with matters concerning Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Tibet, and Xinjiang. By weaving influence into sensitive issues of identity, the agency makes it difficult for outsiders to identify negative effects without facing accusations of prejudice. The department targets non-public sector intellectuals and various non-CCP groups. It specifically seeks to ensure that these influential parties remain supportive of the ruling party's objectives.
The UFWD's history is one of expansion and contraction. It was first established in 1938 during the Second Sino-Japanese War to rally support against a common enemy. After being forced to shut down during the Cultural Revolution, it was re-established in 1979 under Deng Xiaoping. However, since 2012, the role and scope of the department have expanded and intensified significantly under the leadership of President and General Secretary Xi Jinping. The agency's origins trace back to the Second United Front with the Kuomintang. It previously functioned as the Central Urban Work Department during the civil war period.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: China’s Overseas United Front Work: Background and Implications for the United States | U.S.- CHINA | ECONOMIC and SECURITY REVIEW COMMISSION
- Also: United Front Work Department
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