in New York City, at least 53 organizations with ties to Beijing have been mobilizing members to fund-raise or endorse political candidates. Many are nonprofit charities, which are prohibited by law from electioneering. These organizations have quietly foiled the careers of politicians who opposed China’s authoritarian government while backing others who supported policies of the CCP. The groups, many of them tax-exempt nonprofits, have allowed China to influence elections in NYC. The groups are mostly “hometown associations” of people hailing from the same town or province in China, and they’ve become useful tools of the consulate in Manhattan.
These groups undermined a congressional candidate who once challenged the regime on Chinese television.
They helped unseat a state senator for attending a banquet with the president of Taiwan.
And they condemned a City Council candidate on social media for supporting Hong Kong democracy.
consulate officials have enlisted them to intimidate politicians who support Taiwan or cross Beijing’s other red lines. In one case, a intelligence agent and several hometown leaders targeted the same candidate.
consulate officials have presided over dozens of hometown / festive ceremonies that push China’s political interests, and led group leaders through many types of oaths, such as affirming China’s Taiwan policy and promising “to safeguard the development interests of the motherland.”
Some pledged to dedicate their utmost efforts to the “great rejuvenation” of the motherland, a phrase that Xi Jinping used in his first public speech as the CCP leader in 2012 and has invoked many times since.
Beijing is also making a longer bet. “You never know which politician might eventually run for Congress at the national level, or become a presidential candidate.”
In 2023, the FBI arrested leaders of one group, America Changle Association, for operating a police station in its clubhouse. Last year, a federal indictment accused a former aide to Governor Kathy Hochul of conspiring with the heads of two Chinese associations, saying their political activities “were supervised, directed, and controlled” by officials.
Relationships between China-aligned groups and elected leaders are mutually beneficial. Politicians often court these groups and, once in office, sometimes send government money back their way.
Among the 53 groups, at least 19 registered charities had ignored the ban on election activities. Under federal tax law, these nonprofits — which do not pay most taxes — can take positions on policy issues but cannot endorse candidates for office. And yet, in case after case, the hometown groups made endorsements or hosted fund-raisers despite answering “no” to questions from the IRS about political involvement.
Eric Adams — whose former aide resigned amid an investigation into China’s possible intrusion in the last mayoral race — has secured endorsements from the leaders of at least 9 hometown groups — nonprofit charities — in his campaign for re-election. That aide and another Adams supporter caused a stir after reports last week that they had given red envelopes of cash to some journalists at his events this summer.
Dixon Mai, chairman of Chong Lou USA Association Headquarters — which formally endorsed a meeting with top consulate officials last year focused on opposing Taiwan’s president — is mobilizing the group’s 2,000 members to re-elect Adams. “We are all united in voting for him.”
In Dec 2021, the Asian American Community Empowerment nonprofit co-hosted a fund-raiser for Gov. Kathy Hochul. The event took place at a restaurant owned by the group’s leader, John Chan, a businessman aligned with the government who was once convicted of trafficking heroin and smuggling Chinese citizens into the US. Two months later, Hochul announced that $10M in pandemic aid would be distributed to dozens of Asian groups. Chan’s nonprofit received $45K.
https://nytimes.com/2025/08/25/nyregion/china-consulate-new-york-elections.html…
in New York City, at least 53 organizations with ties to Beijing have been mobilizing members to fund-raise or endorse political candidates. Many are nonprofit charities, which are prohibited by law from electioneering. These organizations have quietly foiled the careers of politicians who opposed China’s authoritarian government while backing others who supported policies of the CCP. The groups, many of them tax-exempt nonprofits, have allowed China to influence elections in NYC. The groups are mostly “hometown associations” of people hailing from the same town or province in China, and they’ve become useful tools of the 
consulate in Manhattan.
These groups undermined a congressional candidate who once challenged the regime on Chinese television.
They helped unseat a state senator for attending a banquet with the president of Taiwan.
And they condemned a City Council candidate on social media for supporting Hong Kong democracy.
