MIDLAND, Texas — As retired Chinese official Li Chuanliang recuperates on a Korean resort island while battling cancer, a friend urgently warns him: Don’t return to China. You’re now a fugitive.
In an instant, Li's life changes. Days after receiving the warning, a stranger captures his image in a café. Fearful of being sent back, he flees to the U.S. on a tourist visa and seeks asylum. Yet, even in the States—whether in New York, California, or Texas—the long arm of the Chinese government remains a constant threat, aided by sophisticated surveillance technology.
Li discovers that his communications are monitored, his assets seized, and that his movements are tracked by police databases. More than 40 members of his social circle, including his pregnant daughter, are detained. According to Li, even cab drivers are tracked using facial recognition software as operatives shadow him across multiple continents.
They track you 24 hours a day. All your electronics, your phone— they’ll use every method to find you, your relatives, your friends, where you live, he says. No matter where you are, you’re under their control.”
Li's case sheds light on how China employs technology, much of which comes from Silicon Valley, to maintain power. Surveillance tools help identify and punish nearly 900,000 officials domestically, while operations like “Fox Hunt” and “Sky Net” target dissidents abroad. According to state information, over 14,000 individuals have been coerced back to China from more than 120 countries.
This advanced technology has roots in the U.S., with companies like IBM and Microsoft providing the tools. The irony isn’t lost on Li as he describes the power of electronic surveillance, claiming it's used to create a chilling effect on dissent both inside and outside of China.
Li’s own story is emblematic of a broader narrative: Beijing's increasingly aggressive approach toward silencing those who dare speak out against the regime, demonstrating that even in exile, one cannot escape the shadow of state repression.
In 2017, after enduring years of surveillance, Li made the decision to expose corruption within the party, but it came at a significant personal cost. As he recounts the lengths he went to reveal the misdeeds of his superiors, the consequences of whistleblowing become starkly clear.
Despite facing potential life sentences and a looming trial, Li remains committed to exposing corruption, stating, “Why am I speaking up? Today, it’s me. Tomorrow, it might be you.”
