Overseas Chinese · Full chronicle and history

On November 6, the human rights organization Safeguard Defenders released a report stating that China has established 1,247 overseas liaison points across at least 91 countries and regions, involving 74 domestic agencies. These points use the police, the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, and the United Front system to collect information on overseas Chinese and monitor dissidents. The report also cites a paper by the Qingtian Public Security Bureau chief, which claims that 15 protests by overseas Chinese during visits by Chinese leaders were handled.

A report by Safeguard Defenders mentions that Italian police are investigating individuals suspected of long-term stalking, surveillance, and threats against Teacher Li Is Not Your Teacher.

On October 23, Milan prosecutors concluded their investigation into 10 individuals suspected of stalking the operator of the Teacher Li account. Among them, 8 are Chinese citizens and 2 are Italian citizens. There are currently no convictions.

The U.S. State Department announced that, due to significant corruption, it has barred Fiji-based Chinese national Zhao Fugang and his immediate family members from entering the United States, accusing him of paying bribes on behalf of Chinese-related individuals to advance interests.

Bo Guagua wrote on social media that China's nation condenses civilization and bloodlines, and made remarks that if the country is not strong, overseas Chinese cannot stand straight, sparking external criticism of his political leanings.

A Chinese national who has lived abroad for a long time said that police, on the pretext of a verification check, demanded their passport, visa, living and work details, WeChat records, as well as a video call and real-time location sharing.

On August 30, 2026, a Chinese netizen who has lived in the United States for a long time posted a report saying that the police station at his household registration location claimed, based on big data screening of people who have stayed abroad for a long time, that he was required to provide WeChat records, photos of his daily life, and real-time location for verification.

According to a report by the Italian media "Il Foglio" on August 26, a woman from Zhejiang in her forties, who was suspected of harassing and stalking Teacher Li, was deported by Italy last Saturday upon arriving at Milan Malpensa Airport with her 8-year-old daughter.

On August 24, 2026, Chinese citizens living in Singapore and elsewhere reported that police in their domestic household registration jurisdiction had demanded via WeChat that they submit personal photos and proof of overseas employment, warning that they would bear the consequences themselves; others who had returned to China said they were summoned by police and had their phones checked for entry and exit records.

On July 1, 2026, online blogger Teacher Li and the international human rights organization Safeguard Defenders jointly launched the "Overseas Black Hand Files" project, aiming to systematically collect cases of overseas Chinese communities suffering transnational repression and threats by the CCP, and to push Western governments to take action.

In July 2026, Tencent QQ Browser added the "Teacher Li Is Not Your Teacher" social accounts, Telegram bots, and the rights-defense project website exposing cross-border repression and excessive working hours to its blocklist, prohibiting access.

In May 2026, the civil human rights initiative the Overseas Black Hand Files project officially launched in response to the Chinese authorities' long-arm jurisdiction over overseas dissidents, publicly soliciting and documenting cases of transnational repression carried out by China around the world.

On March 12, 2026, the Fourth Session of the 14th National People's Congress passed the Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress. Article 63 stipulates that overseas organizations and individuals who undermine ethnic unity and progress and incite ethnic division shall be held legally liable in accordance with the law, effective July 1.

In early March 2026, the Italian government, on national security grounds, ordered the deportation of 8 Chinese citizens suspected of surveilling and intimidating dissident Teacher Li (Li Ying).

On February 27, according to ABC News, HungryPanda in Australia experienced another dispute during the Spring Festival, and the company admitted to being in contact with Chinese police.

On August 5, 2026, the international non-governmental organization Human Rights Watch released a human rights report, pointing out that Chinese authorities continue to intensify strict crackdowns on domestic dissident groups and have extended long-arm jurisdiction and transnational repression tactics overseas.

Qiao Xinxin, the initiator of the Demolish the Wall Movement, was cross-border arrested in Laos by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) police and brought back to China. He was later secretly sentenced to 5 years in prison and subjected to torture in prison.

The Jamestown Foundation released a report on the CCP's global expansion, pointing out that Chinese government agencies recruit influence agents within overseas Chinese communities and attempt to control discourse within those communities.

Since 2018, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) used Tang Yuanjing's longing for home as a lure of returning to China and successfully turned him.

Data from Freedom House's database shows that between 2014 and 2024, a total of 1,219 incidents of physical transnational repression occurred worldwide, of which the Chinese Communist Party was responsible for 272, accounting for 22%.

Chinese-American cook Wong Kim Ark was denied entry by U.S. customs because his parents were Chinese; the case went all the way to the Supreme Court, where he won, establishing birthright citizenship under the Constitution, and this precedent was cited many times in later years.