China is silencing its critics at the United Nations through a coordinated campaign of intimidation, using covert proxies and state-controlled organizations to target human rights activists exposing the regime’s abuses.
At a Glance
- China uses government-organized NGOs (GONGOs) to monitor and intimidate human rights activists at the United Nations
- The Chinese government has ejected activists, blocked NGO accreditations, and pressured UN staff members
- Chinese proxy entities target ethnic and religious minorities, political dissidents, and human rights activists in at least 36 countries
- The number of Chinese NGOs with UN consultative status has nearly doubled since 2018, with many serving state interests
- UN officials acknowledge civil society space is shrinking as China works to weaken human rights mechanisms
China’s Growing Influence at the UN
When President Xi Jinping visited the UN offices in Geneva in 2017, unusual restrictions were immediately apparent. Non-governmental organizations were barred from the premises, and staff members were sent home early – an unprecedented move that signaled China’s growing influence over the international body. Shortly after this visit, Uyghur activist Dolkun Isa was ejected without explanation from a UN forum in New York, highlighting a disturbing pattern of interference with human rights advocacy.
China’s approach to the UN human rights system has become increasingly sophisticated. While maintaining engagement with UN mechanisms, Chinese officials simultaneously work to silence criticism and weaken the very structures designed to protect human rights globally.
Their tactics include harassment of activists on UN grounds, blocking NGO accreditations, and intimidation of UN personnel who challenge Chinese interests.
“The Council’s growing engagement with civil society strengthens so much of your work – and is especially vital at a time when civil society space is shrinking in so many places,” noted Secretary-General António Guterres, acknowledging the challenges faced by human rights defenders.
The GONGO Strategy: China’s Proxy Organizations
A key element of China’s influence strategy involves government-organized NGOs, or “GONGOs,” which present themselves as independent civil society organizations while actually advancing Chinese government interests. These groups create a hostile environment for critics of President Xi Jinping, particularly at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, where human rights discussions frequently occur. The number of Chinese NGOs with UN consultative status has nearly doubled since 2018, with many identified as state proxies.
“It’s corrosive. It’s dishonest. It’s subversive,” said Michèle Taylor, describing the impact of these proxy organizations on legitimate human rights work at the United Nations.
Among these organizations, the Chinese Society for Human Rights Studies (CSHRS) stands out as a prominent GONGO. Though presenting itself as an independent academic organization, it consistently promotes pro-China narratives at the UN while helping to silence critics. The presence of such organizations threatens the credibility of the UN’s human rights monitoring mechanisms, as they crowd out authentic civil society voices.
Global Campaign of Transnational Repression
China’s efforts extend far beyond UN corridors. According to Freedom House, “China conducts the most sophisticated, global, and comprehensive campaign of transnational repression in the world.” This campaign targets various groups, including ethnic and religious minorities, political dissidents, human rights activists, and journalists in at least 36 countries across all inhabited continents. Tactics range from direct attacks and renditions to digital threats, spyware deployment, and coercion by proxy.
“We took all of the necessary precautions,” said Zumretay Arkin, describing the elaborate security measures human rights defenders must now take when attending UN events. Many activists now hold meetings in secret locations outside UN complexes, fearing retribution from Chinese authorities or their proxies.
The campaign is supported by a diverse bureaucracy within the Chinese Communist Party, including the Ministry of State Security, Ministry of Public Security, and elements of the People’s Liberation Army. The United Front Work Department plays a crucial role in what the Australian Strategic Policy Institute describes as “a network of party and state agencies responsible for influencing groups outside the party, particularly those claiming to represent civil society.”
Targeting Ethnic Minorities and Critical Voices
Among the most severely targeted groups are Uyghurs, Tibetans, and Falun Gong practitioners, with Hong Kongers and Inner Mongolians increasingly facing similar pressure. In one dramatic incident at the UN, activists documenting Chinese human rights abuses were photographed by representatives of Chinese GONGOs. “This was an act clearly aimed at intimidating and clearly aimed at sending a message to everyone that was here,” noted Raphaël Viana David, describing the chilling effect such surveillance creates.
“One cannot overestimate the contribution that civil society has made towards the development of international human rights standards… Today, civil society’s views, practical knowledge and scholarship are as crucial to the human rights movement as ever in the pursuit of justice and equality for all,” stated former High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, highlighting what’s at stake as China works to silence independent voices.
China’s domestic repression of human rights defenders and civil society mirrors its international actions. The government restricts travel for activists, preventing their participation in international advocacy, while leveraging its geopolitical influence to pressure other countries into detaining or deporting Chinese dissidents. This comprehensive approach threatens not only individual activists but the entire international human rights framework the UN was established to uphold.
