CCP Sets Up Fake Websites, Impersonates Mainstream Media to Smear Shen Yun

At the start of the New Year, on January 4, 2026, Shen Yun&9;s eight artistic troupes staged simultaneous performances across the United States, Europe, and Asia, captivating over ten thousand spectators. The cities included Austin, Texas&9;s capital, Dallas, San Francisco in California, Turin in Italy, Birmingham in the United Kingdom, Toulon in France, Riga, the capital of Latvia, and Taoyuan in Taiwan. (Dajiyuan synthesis)

[People News] A report has revealed that a number of fake websites are impersonating mainstream media outlets to spread messaging aligned with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
The latest campaign targets Shen Yun Performing Arts, a New York-based company, highlighting Beijing’s ongoing efforts to suppress Shen Yun.

According to New Tang Dynasty Television (NTD), researchers at the U.S. social media analytics firm Graphika identified 43 domains and 37 subdomains that appeared unusual.

NTD English reporter Jack Bradley said: “These domains are all based in China, and they impersonate media outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Guardian.”

They use large numbers of fake accounts posing as legitimate social media profiles, systematically coordinating with one another to disseminate false information across various platforms.

Their primary target is Shen Yun Performing Arts, headquartered in New York. The company is dedicated to reviving traditional Chinese culture and presenting China as it existed before communism.

Shen Yun also exposes the CCP regime’s human rights abuses and suppression of religious belief.

The performing arts company was founded in the United States by practitioners of Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa. Falun Gong is described as an advanced Buddhist cultivation practice guided by the principles of “Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance,” following what practitioners call the principles of the universe’s evolution.

Since 1999, Falun Gong has faced severe persecution by the CCP regime.

Shen Yun emcee Leeshai Lemish said: “My first co-host was from Beijing. Chinese state security officers would visit her family every weekend and say, ‘We know what your daughter is doing. Tell her to stop!’ We also have an erhu performer—a soloist. While she was touring with us, her husband was imprisoned for three years and tortured.”

Researchers noted that many of the fake websites attacking Shen Yun were created within the past five years.

The investigation also revealed contracts between CCP entities at various levels and public relations firms to promote such content.

For example, authorities in Changchun reportedly paid more than $15,000 to a Chinese PR company to publish hundreds of promotional articles and videos on what were described as “international media” networks.

The report further stated that 41 accounts on the social media platform X and three Facebook pages consistently coordinated to spread these articles. They used randomly generated usernames, stock photos, and had few followers.

They posted identical content simultaneously, smearing Falun Gong and Shen Yun. Most of the domains appeared to target Chinese audiences, though some were designed for overseas English-speaking readers.

Jack Bradley said: “What’s concerning is that this propaganda campaign leverages mainstream media brands and Western social media platforms to make fabricated stories appear credible, further extending Beijing’s repression beyond its borders.”