The company stated that they are rooted in faith and value moral living and self-improvement. Shen Yun Performing Arts denounced recent media reports as distorted and part of Beijing’s campaign to discredit the company, which was founded by immigrants and artists fleeing persecution in China. The company, headquartered in upstate New York, aims to revive traditional culture and showcase pre-communist China through classical Chinese dance and music performances. Many performers are practitioners of Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party since 1999. Shen Yun has faced suppression campaigns and depicts the persecution in their performances. The company refuted the negative media coverage, stating that it does not reflect the reality of their operations and the values of their performers. The State Department has urged Beijing to end its persecution of Falun Gong. Shen Yun emphasized its commitment to artistic excellence and moral values, challenging its employees to achieve excellence in a supportive environment. Former and current performers have expressed gratitude for being part of Shen Yun, describing it as a representation of the American dream.
It is disheartening to see Western media companies unknowingly or knowingly becoming entangled in the CCP’s global efforts to dismantle the American company we have worked hard to establish. This not only deprives millions around the world of experiencing the true essence of traditional Chinese culture but also hinders the vision of a more hopeful and compassionate world.
Chinese agents have recently attempted to undermine Shen Yun in ways outlined in the FDIC report. In a recent case, two Chinese agents pleaded guilty to acting as unregistered agents of the CCP and attempting to bribe an IRS agent as part of a plot targeting Falun Gong practitioners in the U.S. Shen Yun was identified as the primary target of this scheme to revoke its nonprofit status.
