Harnessing the People: Mapping Overseas United Front Work in Democratic States

Cheryl Yu

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Today, over 2,000 groups are helping the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) achieve its goals across the United States, Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom.[1] These are part of a global network that likely numbers in the tens of thousands, according to some CCP sources.[2] Their efforts help shape a global environment that is more hospitable to CCP interests. The United Front Work Department (中共中央统一战线工作部), a functional department under the Party’s Central Committee, directs these efforts.[3] Internationally, it coordinates and carries out work in power centers outside the Party’s direct purview, including by mobilizing groups to further the Party’s ambitions. Foremost among these ambitions is “the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation” (中华民族伟大复兴).

According to the Party, achieving national rejuvenation includes replacing the United States as the dominant global power. In the words of a 2021 People’s Daily editorial, “the key to national rejuvenation lies in winning the initiative in the competition for comprehensive national power” (在综合国力的竞争中赢得先机是民族复兴的关键).[4] This sentiment has been echoed by other academics and political advisors in the People’s Republic of China (PRC).[5] National rejuvenation also entails securing the CCP’s territorial claims by annexing Taiwan.[6]