Bomb Threat Disrupts Shen Yun Performance in France Amid CCP Interference

On February 3, the Zénith de Dijon theater in France received an alarming email threatening to bomb the venue if it did not cancel an upcoming performance by Shen Yun Performing Arts, a New York-based company renowned for showcasing traditional Chinese culture. The email explicitly stated, “I placed multiple bombs in the theater,” and warned that the venue would be “blown into rubble.”

Authorities promptly evacuated the theater and conducted a thorough police inspection, delaying the performance by over an hour. No explosives were found, and the show ultimately proceeded. However, this incident is just one of many threats the performing arts company has faced in recent years, all of which have proven to be hoaxes.

According to The Epoch Times, Shen Yun and experts familiar with these recurring incidents strongly suspect the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as the instigator. For over 15 years, the CCP has reportedly pressured theaters worldwide to cancel Shen Yun performances. A 2024 report by the Falun Dafa Information Center documented more than 130 instances of CCP interference across 38 countries. These efforts have largely failed, leading to more aggressive threats.

Beijing’s Ongoing Hostility Toward Shen Yun

Shen Yun has drawn the ire of Beijing due to its portrayal of traditional Chinese culture free from communist influence. The company was founded by practitioners of Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. Since 1999, Falun Gong practitioners have faced severe persecution in China, including imprisonment, torture, and forced organ harvesting. The CCP views Shen Yun as a challenge to its ideological control over China’s image and influence on the global stage.

In recent months, the threats against Shen Yun have escalated. The Epoch Times reviewed emails detailing plans for bombings and mass shootings targeting the company’s personnel, theaters, and even U.S. lawmakers who have publicly supported Falun Gong. Some threats have been particularly graphic, including claims of incendiary attacks on Shen Yun’s headquarters in upstate New York, known as Dragon Springs.

One email in January stated that the sender had fabricated “a large number of incendiary bombs” using alcohol and glass bottles, threatening to set fire to buildings and vehicles while attacking those who intervened. Another email declared, “Bombs will be installed and detonated at or near these congressional members’ residences or in their vehicles!”

Cybersecurity Experts Point to the CCP

More than 20 such threats have been reported over the past year in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Taiwan. In some cases, the emails were designed to appear as if they originated from Taiwanese government officials, including Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim. Cybersecurity specialists consulted by The Epoch Times suggested that the perpetrators either hacked legitimate email accounts or spoofed them to create false identities.

Casey Fleming, CEO of Black Ops Partners and a cybersecurity expert, asserted that the CCP was the most likely culprit, citing the complexity of the operations. “On the surface, you have to look at who’s got the most to gain, who’s got the biggest beef, and that’s the CCP, most likely,” Fleming said. Another expert, Gary Miliefsky, echoed this sentiment: “If it walks like a duck, if it quacks like a duck, if it looks like a duck, it’s probably a duck.”

Although some threats appear to originate from locations like France, cybersecurity analysts warn that such origins can easily be masked.

Shen Yun’s Determination to Continue

Despite the CCP’s attempts to derail its performances, Shen Yun remains undeterred. Ying Chen, a vice president of Shen Yun, stated, “The Chinese regime has tried every trick in the book to silence us, malign us, and sabotage us. They failed, and these new terrorist tactics will also fail.”

Levi Browde, director of the Falun Dafa Information Center, personally experienced threats when he received an email in August 2024 stating, “You will meet God,” followed by threats against his family and colleagues.

“There’s one entity on earth that wants to wipe out Falun Gong, and that’s the CCP,” Browde said.

Diplomatic Pressure and Global Influence Campaign

Beyond direct threats, the CCP has used diplomatic pressure to cancel Shen Yun performances in multiple countries, including South Korea, Russia, Denmark, Ukraine, Thailand, Ecuador, Greece, and Spain. However, many venues and governments have resisted, refusing to bow to Beijing’s influence.

In 2014, Chinese officials unsuccessfully pressured a Berlin theater to cancel Shen Yun’s performances. The following year, the Chinese Consulate in Chicago attempted to force a Missouri venue to do the same, warning of consequences for U.S.-China relations. Both efforts failed.

Shen Yun has been widely praised for its artistic excellence and inspirational messages. Italian Senator Giulio Terzi di Sant’Agata recently described the company as a “bearer of a universal message of harmony, respect, and above all, freedom.”

Escalation of the CCP’s Global Suppression Efforts

The Chinese regime’s campaign against Falun Gong has intensified since 2022, when CCP leader Xi Jinping directed officials to suppress the practice globally, using covert mechanisms to avoid direct ties to Beijing. These methods include leveraging social media influencers and media outlets to smear Shen Yun and Falun Gong.

Over the past six months, The New York Times has published 10 critical articles about Shen Yun, with sources reportedly supplied by individuals linked to the CCP. The Epoch Times also reported that a Chinese-American YouTuber involved in this smear campaign has made threats against Shen Yun personnel. In 2023, the FBI issued a warning that this individual was “potentially armed and dangerous” near the Dragon Springs campus. He was later arrested for illegal firearms possession.

Additionally, two Chinese agents were convicted last year for attempting to bribe an IRS agent into launching a fraudulent investigation into Shen Yun.

U.S. Lawmakers Address CCP Interference

The U.S. government has acknowledged the growing influence of the CCP’s overseas campaigns. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently described China as “the most potent and dangerous, near-peer adversary this nation has ever confronted.” Newly confirmed Attorney General Pam Bondi echoed concerns about Chinese sleeper cells in the U.S., calling it a “very real threat to our country.”

As the CCP intensifies its efforts to silence Shen Yun, the company remains resolute in its mission to revive and share China’s cultural heritage. “We remain committed to showing the world the beauty and spiritual depth of China before communism,” said Ying Chen.

Despite ongoing threats and interference, Shen Yun continues to perform worldwide, drawing audiences who celebrate its powerful cultural and artistic message.