Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, Oct. 11: Chinese authorities are increasingly deploying transnational repression tactics to harass and intimidate diaspora communities in Japan, particularly targeting citizens from Tibet, East Turkestan (Xinjiang), Inner Mongolia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, according to the rights watchdog Human Rights Watch (HRW). The New York-based group has raised alarms over Beijing’s use of coercive measures to silence critics abroad and suppress any perceived “anti-China” activities.
According to HRW’s latest findings, individuals from these regions residing in Japan have reported being subjected to a range of intimidating actions by Chinese authorities. These include direct threats, pressure through relatives in China, and surveillance via online platforms such as WeChat, a popular micro-messaging app heavily monitored by Chinese state actors. The international rights organization interviewed 25 individuals from these communities, who shared their experiences of being warned or coerced by Chinese police, sometimes through family members back home.
The activities that have drawn Beijing’s ire vary from organising cultural events to advocating for human rights. One such incident involved a Tibetan living in Japan, who, while promoting Tibetan culture, was pressured when attempting to renew their passport at the Chinese embassy in Tokyo. Embassy officials informed them that the renewal process could only be completed if they returned to Tibet, a move that the individual feared could lead to arrest or other forms of persecution.
Similarly, a Taiwanese national who had previously been involved in pro-democracy activism in Hong Kong recounted receiving several invitations from the Chinese embassy to collect “important documents.” The person declined, fearing detention or punishment if they complied.
The escalation of these activities in Japan has prompted rights groups to call on the Japanese government to take a stronger stance in protecting diaspora communities from China’s transnational repression. “Chinese authorities appear to have few scruples about silencing people from China living in Japan who criticise Beijing’s abuses,” said Teppei Kasai, Asia programme officer at Human Rights Watch. “The Japanese government should make clear to Beijing that it won’t tolerate the long arm of China’s transnational repression in Japan.”
Beijing’s transnational repression is not unique to Japan. Chinese authorities have long used their global influence to target dissidents and minority groups in exile across the world, from Europe to the United States. However, the growing pressure faced by Chinese diaspora communities in Japan highlights the expanding reach of these tactics and raises concerns about their effectiveness in silencing dissent beyond China’s borders.
