China ‘resorts to false bomb threats’ in ‘extreme tactics to silence critics abroad’
False bomb threats at luxury hotels and embassies in Europe, the United States, the Middle East and Asia appear to be part of a harassment campaign against critics of the Chinese government, according to a new investigation.
More than a dozen threats have falsely implicated Germany-based Chinese journalist Su Yutong, as well as activists Bob Fu, who lives in the US, and Wang Jingyu in the Netherlands, reported the Axios news outlet.
Since October 2022, anonymous perpetrators have reportedly booked and paid for dozens of expensive rooms at luxury hotels in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Turkey, Hong Kong and Macau in China, as well as the US, using their targets’ personal information without their knowledge.
The perpetrators then made at least 14 bomb threats to some of those hotels, falsely claiming to be Ms Su, Mr Bob or Mr Wang, according to interviews with the victims, hotel staff and police statements.
The identity of those responsible has not been confirmed. But the victims, all known to be outspoken about the suppression of human rights in China, believe the intimidation tactics are backed by the Chinese government.
China 'creative about how to harass and target people'
Analysts warn the regime is finding increasingly extreme ways to try to silence dissidents abroad.
When it comes to repressing critics abroad, “China operates pretty freely in democratic states”, Yana Gorokhovskaia, an expert on transnational repression at Freedom House, told Axios.
“It employs various tactics, and when one tactic becomes unavailable, they are quite creative about how to harass and target people.”
The threats led to police investigations and even the brief detention of one of the activists, although none are suspected of any wrongdoing.
Law enforcement agencies in the US, Germany, the Netherlands, Macao and Hong Kong are investigating the incidents.
'They want me to socially die'
Ms Su has lived in Germany since 2010 after escaping China, where she was put under house arrest for distributing a banned book about Li Peng, the former Chinese premier who oversaw the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.
The journalist’s name was recently used to book a room and call in a false bomb threat at a luxury hotel in Istanbul, although staff realised it was fake after speaking to her directly.
She said it was part of a long-running campaign of repression where she had also been targeted with fake escort advrtisements leading men to her home “looking for sex”. She has also received Uber Eats food worth thousands of dollars that was ordered anonymously, with deliverers expecting to be paid in cash.
She told Voice of America the relentless wave had taken a toll, leaving her depressed. “They want me to ‘socially die’ instead of actually killing me,” said Ms Su.
The journalist has now moved to an undisclosed location after the authorities urged her to take measures to protect her safety.
The fake bomb tactic mirrors a similar incident last year in the UK, when prominent Australian human rights activist Drew Pavlou was arrested outside the Chinese embassy in London after a false threat was sent in an email using his name.
“They were clearly trying to frame me,” Mr Pavlou, who is known for his demonstrations in support of Tibet, Hong Kong and the Ugyhurs, said at the time. He was later cleared of any charges.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to an Axios request for comment.
