Xi Jinping mentioned during a speech on November 16 that the hope for Sino-American relations lies with the people, resting in particular on the youth, and thrives in local communities. He invited more American governors and legislators, as well as individuals from various sectors in the United States, to visit China. At the same time, he announced that, in order to expand ties between the people of China and the United States, especially among the younger generation, China is willing to invite 50,000 American teenagers to visit China for exchange and learning over the next five years.
Two days later, teenagers from Lincoln High School in Washington state presented a birthday present to Xi's wife and were extended an invitation to visit China by Li Jingjing, an influencer who amplifies Chinese Communist Party (CCP) propaganda on social media.
The offer of free trips to China has been a longstanding and effective tool in the CCP's united front strategy.
As Josh Rogin detailed in his book Chaos under Heaven, the CCP has skillfully cultivated the relationship with U.S. congressional staffers of all levels for decades. "The main way this is done is by bringing staffers on lavish trips to China.... Almost any level congressional staff could apply, from staff assistant to press secretary. It amounted to millions of dollars of free gifts."
Since 2010, the CCP has launched remarkably low-cost travel packages (ranging from $49 to $99) targeting Chinese people who live overseas. The stated goal is to encourage them to witness the country's development and changes. Simultaneously, this initiative serves as a means to collect information on overseas Chinese, facilitating the identification of potential targets for the national security department. These travel packages include five to eight days of accommodation in five-star hotels, meals, guided tours, and admission tickets to tourist attractions. A significant number of overseas Chinese have taken advantage of these seemingly impossibly cheap tour packages.
The proverb "seeing is believing" holds significance in this context. It has become a favored tool for Chinese diplomats and spokespersons when responding to external skepticism about China. Questions like "Have you been to China?" or "Have you been to Xinjiang?" are often followed up with orchestrated visits to predetermined locations at specified times, showcasing what the CCP wants visitors to see and achieving the desired narrative. This approach has become a crucial element in how the CCP shapes and presents its story to the world.
Earlier this year, Beijing lifted tourism restrictions in Xinjiang, and by summer, the number of people flying into and out of the region had surged to 150,000. The picturesque landscapes, distinctive cuisine, and the apparent tranquility in classic tourist areas contrast sharply with the reality of the mass detention of over a million Uyghurs in reeducation camps. Ralf Brandstaetter, a Volkswagen executive, remarked after visiting a Volkswagen factory in Xinjiang in mid-February that he saw "no evidence of human rights violations" in the Xinjiang factory.
From academia to the business sector, from college students to government officials, from Hollywood to professional sports, the CCP's united front strategy has been successful. Now, as Beijing begins to tailor its propaganda tourism for American youth, are we just going to sit idly by? We cannot watch as authoritarian regimes exploit the optimistic expectations of our youth for a better future, manipulate their perception of the world, appease them to human rights violations, and numb them to injustice.
A recent report from the German Marshall Fund reveals that Gen Z "perceive[s] Chinese and Russian influence as more positive than older respondents do."
We must warn our high schools' principals, teachers and parents and most importantly students.
Explain the core content, methods, and intention of CCP propaganda to them. Encourage them to ask themselves—why would an authoritarian government be willing to spend thousands of dollars to send you on a foreign trip? Why is this logically implausible "good fortune" happening? Show these teenagers what they would see and what they would not see. Show them the harm the CCP has done to the world. Show them the reason the CCP is financing these trips and what its true motivations are.
That reason is straightforward enough—it is because they are American children. This authoritarian government wants to sow seeds in young minds, shaping their future perceptions of authoritarian regimes and molding their worldview. Indeed, using Americans against America, creating internal chaos in the United States, is the CCP's most cost-effective and efficient weapon against its adversaries.
Amid the crises of fentanyl and TikTok, American teenagers have been vulnerable, and the U.S. government seems to be at a loss. This time, as one more threat knocks on the door, let legislators, educators, and all sectors of society come to the aid of our children, and prevent them from becoming one more victim of the CCP.
Jeanette Tong is a research fellow at Citizen Power Initiatives for China. Jianli Yang is the founder and president of Citizen Power Initiatives and author of For Us, The Living: A Journey to Shine the Light on Truth and It's Time for a Values-Based "Economic NATO."
The views expressed in this article are the writers' own.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
