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China Tightens Restrictions on Catholic Activities

Chinese Catholics reportedly face growing restrictions on religious activities in Shanghai and Beijing, including access to religious books, pilgrimages, online prayer services, and Catholic funeral rites. In Shanghai, the religious-items store at Xujiahui Cathedral has reportedly stopped selling the Bible, theology books, and commonly used Catholic prayer books. Similar reports indicate that some Beijing churches have also removed Bibles from sale.

Restrictions reportedly extend to collective pilgrimages, with a Beijing-area priest saying that parish groups now need government approval to travel to churches in other regions. Catholic online activities have also been affected. A Chinese Catholic platform reportedly stopped livestreaming the Rosary from Lourdes in December 2025, cutting off an important source of religious content, particularly for older Catholics.

On August 18, a Shanghai Catholic reportedly said that funeral homes across the city had stopped allowing Catholic funeral rites beginning this month, suggesting that the restrictions may now extend beyond religious activities during believers’ lives to Catholic end-of-life and funeral practices.

Source: Epoch Times, August 20, 2026
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/26/8/20/n14833207.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics Social Stability

Lawyer Who Helped Save WeChat in U.S. Says WeChat Censored and Banned His Account

A Chinese-American lawyer who uses the online name “Silicon Valley Lawyer Zhu” said on YouTube that his WeChat account was permanently banned despite his role in successfully challenging the Trump administration’s 2020 attempt to restrict WeChat in the United States. Screenshots he shared show that his account was marked “login restricted and cannot be unblocked” for allegedly committing multiple violations. The lawyer said Tencent did not specify which rules he had violated or who had reported him, and he speculated that the ban may have been related to his criticism of China’s COVID-19 lockdown policies.

In August 2020, the Trump administration issued an executive order seeking to prohibit U.S. transactions involving WeChat, potentially forcing the app out of the U.S. market. Attorney Keliang “Clay” Zhu and four other Chinese-American attorneys subsequently formed the U.S. WeChat Users Alliance and challenged the restrictions in federal court, arguing that they violated the First Amendment’s protections for freedom of speech. A federal judge issued an injunction blocking the restrictions, and the legal battle continued until the Biden administration revoked the Trump-era restrictions in January 2021.

The lawyer now says that while he helped defend WeChat in the United States on free-speech grounds, his own WeChat account was later permanently banned by Tencent. This shows an apparent ironic contradiction between defending a platform’s access to free expression in the United States and its restrictions on users’ speech under communist China’s censorship system.

Source: Aboluo, August 22, 2026
https://www.aboluowang.com/2026/0822/2424176.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics

CCP Is “Weaponizing” Passports to Pressure Overseas Chinese to Return to China

Reports from overseas Chinese communities allege that Chinese diplomatic missions are increasingly refusing to renew passports for certain Chinese nationals abroad and requiring them to return to China to obtain new documents. A California-based Chinese national known online as Billy claimed on X that the Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco had recently rejected some passport-renewal applications without warning, including cases involving people from Xinjiang. A visa-services intermediary reportedly said that people who entered the United States irregularly or applied for asylum were particularly likely to have their renewal applications rejected.

The reports also allege that Chinese consular officials have subjected some asylum beneficiaries to additional questioning and document requests. One intermediary claimed that officials questioned applicants about their religious beliefs and the basis of their asylum claims and, in some cases, asked them to sign statements suggesting that they had sought asylum primarily to obtain employment in the United States rather than because of persecution. Such statements could potentially be used by Chinese authorities as “evidence” that applicants had fabricated or misrepresented their asylum claims. Immigration lawyers reportedly warned asylum beneficiaries against returning to Chinese consulates to renew their passports, citing potential risks if their asylum claims became known to Chinese authorities.

The reports further raise concerns that returning to China could expose overseas Chinese to exit bans or other restrictions preventing them from leaving the country again. China recently adopted new exit-control rules, and there have been reports that Chinese authorities have already begun blocking some individuals from leaving the country.

Critics argue that restricting passport services could leave overseas Chinese who do not want to return to China in a vulnerable position, particularly if their passports expire and they cannot obtain valid travel documents. If the allegations are widespread, they would suggest that China is using passport and consular services not simply for administrative purposes but as a tool to pressure overseas nationals to return to China—with those who refuse potentially left without a valid Chinese passport.

Source: Vision Times, August 21, 2026
https://www.secretchina.com/news/gb/2026/08/21/1103709.html

Briefings | | |   @CS Government/Politics

China Creates Specialized Government Agencies to Accelerate AI Development

China is establishing specialized government agencies to accelerate the development of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics. On July 28, Foshan’s Shunde District in Guangdong launched its Embodied Intelligence Development Bureau, the country’s first government agency dedicated to coordinating the entire embodied AI industry chain. Officials described the move as a strategic effort to use AI as a driver of economic growth.

The move reflects a broader trend. Over the past year, cities including Huizhou, Nanjing, Zhuhai, Guangzhou, Wenzhou, and Shenzhen have established dedicated AI agencies. These bodies aim to consolidate responsibilities previously scattered across multiple government departments, including industrial planning, enterprise services, computing infrastructure, application development, and security.

Local officials say centralized coordination can reduce bureaucratic barriers and help companies access government resources more efficiently. The trend highlights China’s effort to strengthen government coordination of AI development and accelerate commercialization, while treating AI and embodied intelligence as strategic industries requiring direct policy support.

Source: People’s Daily, August 7, 2026
http://finance.people.com.cn/n1/2026/0807/c1004-40775343.html

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics Information/Technology

Taiwan Seeks to Dissolve Pro-China Party Over Alleged CCP Links

Taiwan’s Ministry of the Interior on August 7 petitioned the Constitutional Court to dissolve the China Unification Promotion Party (CUPP), led by Chang An-le, known as “White Wolf.” Interior Minister Liu Shih-fang said the party is a pro-China organization that has assisted CCP infiltration at the grassroots level, cross-border repression, and the use of Chinese capital to influence Taiwan’s elections. The ministry cited investigations and court rulings alleging that CUPP officials received Chinese government funding and cooperated with Chinese intelligence personnel in contacting current and retired military officers.

Liu also accused the CUPP of having extensive links to organized crime. According to Criminal Investigation Bureau statistics cited by the minister, since 2010 the party has been involved in 98 organized-crime cases involving 141 people, including attempted murder, extortion, unlawful restraint, assault, fraud, and drug offenses. Liu argued that the party is effectively a criminal organization operating under the guise of a political party and has threatened the existence of the Republic of China and Taiwan’s free and democratic constitutional order.

However, the case faces a potentially difficult path in the Constitutional Court. Under the Constitutional Litigation Act, a decision to dissolve a political party requires the approval of at least two-thirds of the Constitutional Court justices. With eight justices currently serving, six votes would be required. However, three justices have consistently declined to participate in rulings, leaving the current balance at 5–3 and making the ministry’s chances of securing the required votes appear slim.

Sources:
1. Tai Sounds, August 7, 2026
https://www.taisounds.com/news/content/71/281909
2. Central News Agency (Taiwan), July 30, 2026
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/aipl/202607300378.aspx

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Government/Politics

Canadian CSIS Warns Richmond Officials of Potential Chinese Interference in Municipal Election

Canada’s Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) reportedly held a closed-door briefing in July for Richmond, British Columbia, Mayor Malcolm Brodie and city councilors, warning that the municipal election scheduled for October 17 could face Chinese Communist Party (CCP) interference, including influence operations targeting the city’s Chinese Canadian community. According to The Bureau, the briefing was led by a senior CSIS regional official and relied primarily on previously public information, including cases discussed by the Hogue Commission on foreign interference.

CSIS reportedly warned that individuals with ties to the CCP could approach Richmond candidates during the campaign in an effort to influence the electoral process and undermine its integrity. While CSIS declined to confirm or deny the specific briefing, a spokesperson said recent amendments to the CSIS Act allow the agency to share information about national security threats with organizations beyond the federal government, including local governments, academia, businesses, and community groups.

The warning follows previous reports of Chinese interference in British Columbia elections. Former Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart and Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West have said they received similar warnings from CSIS. A 2024 investigation by the Commissioner of Canada Elections also found evidence of foreign interference targeting the Chinese Canadian community during the 2021 federal election. The investigation found that former Conservative candidate Kenny Chiu became a target after supporting Uyghur human rights, Hong Kong democracy, and a foreign-agent registry, with Chinese consular officials and community organizations allegedly portraying him negatively to Chinese Canadian voters.

Source: Epoch Times, August 2, 2026
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/26/8/2/n14822025.htm

Briefings | | |   Geo-Strategic Trend Government/Politics

Chinese Communist Party Cultivates Ties With U.S. Democratic Socialists

A Fox News commentary by Douglas MacKinnon on August 6 alleged that some members of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) have accepted Chinese government-sponsored trips to China, received VIP-level treatment, and publicly expressed support for the People’s Republic of China and “Chinese socialism.” The report cited research indicating that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has increasingly engaged with Western left-wing political groups through organized visits and high-level hospitality.

These exchanges appear to go beyond cultural diplomacy, with Chinese officials using carefully managed itineraries and political messaging to promote a favorable image of the CCP while downplaying criticism of its one-party rule, political repression, and human rights record. One DSA leader who recently visited China reportedly said Chinese officials treated the delegation “like royalty” and described the officials as displaying a “calm and comfortable confidence.”

The report also highlights an alleged double standard within parts of the DSA. While the organization advocates restricting or abolishing institutions such as police, prisons, ICE, and the military as instruments of state oppression, some members have expressed support for a Chinese political system built around extensive police, intelligence, surveillance, and censorship powers.

Source: Aboluo, August 10, 2026
https://www.aboluowang.com/2026/0810/2419098.html

Briefings | | |   @CS Government/Politics US-China Relations

Florida Schools to Begin Teaching the History and Terror of Communist Regimes

Beginning with the 2026–2027 academic year, Florida public schools will implement new curriculum standards requiring instruction on the history of communist regimes and the human suffering they inflicted. The standards, approved by the Florida Board of Education in November 2025, were developed by Florida educators and subject-matter experts.

According to the Florida Department of Education, the curriculum is designed to provide students with an accurate and in-depth understanding of how communist ideology suppresses individual freedom, abuses power, and causes widespread human suffering. Florida Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas said the new standards are especially important as communist ideology has regained prominence in the United States and globally. He argued that students should understand the historical failures of communist regimes and develop a deeper appreciation for the values of freedom.

Under the new standards, middle and high school students will study the history of communist governments, including the links between communist rule and poverty, famine, political repression, violence, and other forms of state-sponsored terror.

Source: Epoch Times, July 31, 2026
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/26/7/30/n14820606.htm

Briefings | | |   Government/Politics US-China Relations