GNSI Policy Dialogues: Endandered Freedoms

Transnational Repression in North America

A key marker of sovereignty for any country is the control over police powers within its borders. Yet today, the People’s Republic of China has established police stations in countries around the world, including the United States, and uses these installations as key nodes in a systematic global effort to monitor, harass, and intimidate both Chinese and third-country citizens.

This TRANSNATIONAL REPRESSION by the Chinese party-state has particularly targeted the overseas Uyghur, Tibetan, and Hong Kong communities. Chinese Communist Party (CCP) operations have also targeted college campuses to intimidate both students and educators, while broadly shaping the academic discourse on China. While the FBI and other law enforcement agencies have begun taking action to stop the CCP’s most aggressive efforts, the majority of Americans remain unaware of the degree to which China’s authoritarian government is exporting its repression into American communities and targeting their fellow citizens. 

The Global and National Security Institute at the University of South Florida invite you to join us for a day-long summit to bring together lawmakers, experts, and stakeholders to explore the multifaceted challenges posed by the CCP’s ongoing efforts to suppress Americans’ freedoms of expression and association, harass family members of political prisoners, and interfere in U.S. domestic political processes.

In addition to raising awareness about these tactics among the university community, the summit will explore effective strategies communities can take on their own and in cooperation with law enforcement to identify, combat, and mitigate transnational repression.

Key Speakers:
Nury Turkel, Commissioner for the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
Omer Kanat, Executive Director of the Uyghur Human Rights Project
Amy Mitchell, former Senior Advisor for the Office of Global Women's Issues
// Full list of scheduled speakers here.

In addition, we'll have panel discussions revolving around:
Threads of Oppression: The Global Impact of Transnational Repression
The Human Toll: Living with Transnational Repression
// Full agenda here.

Join us for a day of difficult but necessary conversations to bring to light the ongoing repression of hundreds of thousands of people across the world at the hands of the People's Republic of China.


May 15, 2024
Patel Center for Global Solutions
Tampa Campus
University of South Florida
Cost to Attend: Free
Attendance: In-Person attendance