EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated to include a response from the Mayor’s office sent after publication
Chinese consular officials met with a Vancouver city hall employee last month and urged her to cancel an arts event that highlighted communist party repression, sources told Global News.
At the meeting, representatives of China’s consulate told a staff member of the city’s civic theatres branch that they wanted a series of performances by the Shen Yun dance group to be stopped, the sources said.
The event, a celebration of Chinese cultural traditions lost under Communist rule, also received bomb threats, but went ahead anyway April 8-12 at the city-owned Queen Elizabeth Theatre.
Mayor Ken Sim’s office confirmed on Tuesday that the meeting had occurred and that the Shen Yun event was discussed, but denied the Vancouver Civic Theatres (VCT) employee in question was pressured.
“After investigating this allegation, city staff have confirmed that a meeting between VCT staff and Chinese consulate officials did indeed happen,” said the mayor’s chief of staff, Trevor Ford.
“However, this was not a breach of protocol, nor was there any pressure by counselor officials to cancel the event.”
The Chinese consulate requested the meeting, and it was attended by the consul and vice-consul, said Ford, who described it as “cordial” and touching on “a range of cultural topics.”
“Staff discussed the meeting with Global Affairs Canada and confirmed that the meeting falls within the bounds of a normal diplomatic interaction with China,” he added.
But the incident suggests that China continues to use its diplomatic missions to silence dissent in Canada, even as Prime Minister Mark Carney pursues a detente with Beijing.
Canada’s intelligence agencies have alleged that China uses both diplomatic and foreign interference tactics, such as threats and harassment, to advance its interests overseas.
According to Public Safety Canada guidelines, “targeting any level of government to influence public policy or decision-making in a way that is clandestine, deceptive or threatening, and is contrary to Canadian interests” constitutes foreign interference.
Global News is not naming the city employee who met the consulate officials due to potential safety concerns.
Approaching Canadians in the diaspora, and who may have family members in China vulnerable to reprisals, is a common foreign interference tactic.
Beijing has long targeted Shen Yun, a New York-based performing arts group that has toured the world for the past two decades, and uses the banner “China before Communism.”
Through its consulates, Beijing has decried the Shen Yun shows as “anti-China propaganda” that are spreading the ideology of Falun Gong, a movement persecuted by Beijing along with other religious and spiritual groups.
A Vancouver city hall spokesperson confirmed that staff from Vancouver Civic Theatres, which falls under the city’s direction, met with representatives from the Chinese consulate in early April.
“During this meeting a range of cultural topics were discussed, including the Shen Yun production,” a city of Vancouver press spokesperson wrote in a statement in response to questions from Global News.
“Over the years, VCT has engaged with many organizations, individuals, consulates and community groups expressing differing perspectives on event content,” she added.
“Staff may, from time to time, meet with representatives of consulates for information-sharing purposes. These conversations are high-level and do not involve policy decisions or commitments.”
“VCT does not censor or limit lawful freedom of expression within its venues.”
The city would not answer questions about what the Chinese officials said to the city employee regarding Shen Yun, but sources told Global News that the consulate wanted the event cancelled.
“The mayor and council need to take this very seriously,” said former Vancouver mayor Kennedy Stewart, now an associate professor at the Simon Fraser University School of Public Policy.
“What’s worrying to me is the level of interference. Taking pot shots at politicians is one thing, but starting to infiltrate within the civil service and directly intimidating civil servants, I haven’t heard of that before,” he said.
“So this is perhaps an emboldened move by the consulate, if they are actively going in and trying to change city operations, bypassing politicians, bypassing political avenues and doing this internally.”
“That’s deeply worrying to me.”
The Chinese consulate did not respond to questions. The Vancouver municipal official in charge of the venue where the Shen Yun show was staged did not respond to phone and text messages.
Beijing seeks to silence criticism
Shen Yun may be known to most Canadians for the colourful flyers dropped in their mailboxes promoting their events, if not for the performances themselves.
But for the Chinese government, the show has become a preoccupation, according to an organization representing Falun Gong practitioners.
“Why is a proclaimed superpower afraid of a dance performance?” asked Joel Chipkar, spokesperson for the Falun Dafa Association of Canada.
As far back as 2011, the Chinese consul general in Vancouver urged then-mayor Gregor Robertson to boycott Shen Yun,” Business in Vancouver reported.
During the foreign interference inquiry that delivered its report in 2025, members of the Canadian Falun Gong community testified about efforts to interfere in Shen Yun performances.
They spoke about bomb threats to venues and said Chinese consular officials had warned Shen Yun’s sponsors that their business with China would be impacted, and they would not be able to obtain travel visas.
“Chinese embassies and consulates around the world have tried to sabotage and prevent the show from performing in different parts of the world,” according to a report submitted to the inquiry.
Prior to the 2026 Shen Yun tour, Chinese consulates resumed their campaign, releasing statements urging countries to “reject the cult” and to instead attend “authentic” Chinese events.
Although Vancouver city staff did not acquiesce to the consulate’s alleged push to axe the shows, the sources said the employee who met with Chinese officials was upset about the encounter.
“For civil servants, it’s very worrying. They really have no defence against this. It’s elected officials who have to stand up for them,” Stewart, the former Vancouver mayor, said in an interview.
He said the city should order staff not to attend any further meetings with consular officials, and ask the federal government to investigate the incident.
“A letter has to go to Global Affairs asking for an investigation on this, and because this is repeated behaviour, Ottawa may want to review whether or not they should actually shut this consulate down,” he said.
“If it is this blatant and there’s this kind of pattern of interference with local affairs, maybe it’s best if all the interactions are through the official embassy in Ottawa.”
Toronto show cancelled over email threatening to detonate explosives
Before landing in Vancouver, Shen Yun performed in Toronto on March 28 without incident, but a threat on March 29 prompted the evacuation of the theatre.
Sent by email, it said explosives had been placed inside the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, as well as on Parliament Hill.
The same email account sent another message the following day, warning that gunmen would enter the theatre disguised as audience members, shoot the performers and set fire to the venue.
“Just wait and see,” it said.
Toronto police told Global News the threats “were determined to be unfounded,” but the Canadian Opera Company, which owns the Four Seasons Centre, cancelled the remaining performances.
A spokesperson for the venue said the decision was made, “out of an abundance of caution, prioritizing the safety and well-being of our artists, audiences, and staff given the information, time, and resources available in that moment.”
Organizers announced on Monday that they had rescheduled the Toronto performances for June 26-28.
But at a recent Toronto screening of a documentary film about Shen Yun, attendees said the show should have gone on, since police had determined no genuine threat existed.
“We’ve been dealing with these kinds of targeted attacks for a very long time, not only in Canada, but in Europe, in Asia,” said Sunni Zhou, a Shen Yun dancer who grew up in Mississauga.
Each time, the threats were deemed false, she said. “We want to keep fighting because what we’re doing here is so amazing,” Zhou said. “No matter how hard it is, it’s always worth it at the end.”
Steve Lance, the executive producer of the film, Unbroken: The Untold Story of Shen Yun, said bomb threats also led to the evacuation of a performance in Taiwan.
“But the show goes on because at the end of the day, we know where these threats are coming from. They’re coming from China. They’re not credible, and they’re really just meant to cause panic and terror.”
In February, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was evacuated from his official residence after receiving a threat to blow it up unless he cancelled the Shen Yun shows in the country.
“It’s really a form of terrorism, and not in the sense of an actual bomb threat, but to terrorize people and drive fear in them and prevent them from going out to their local theatre to see a performance.”
He said Shen Yun is targeted because it showcases traditional Chinese culture “rooted in divinity and moral principles.”
The Chinese Communist Party, which is atheist, therefore views it as a threat, he said.
Is China emboldened by Carney's embrace?
The week Shen Yun was to open in Vancouver, an email arrived on April 2 that said a “large quantity” of ammonium nitrate explosives and a remote detonation device “have been placed.”
“Please immediately cancel all future Shen Yun performances,” it continued. Otherwise, the explosives would be detonated, read the email, which was reported to the Vancouver Police Department.
Police determined it was a hoax. Cybercrime officers found that the email address used to send the message was associated with a phone number in China, an officer told event organizers.
As a precaution, a bomb sniffing dog checked the theatre and found no explosives. In contrast to Toronto, the shows went ahead despite the alleged objections from the Chinese consulate.
There is no evidence that the threats come directly from the Chinese government, but Beijing’s demonization of the show and of the Falun Gong may well have been contributing factors.
Further, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service identified the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as recently as Friday as one of the “main perpetrators of foreign interference” in the country, along with India, Russia, Iran and Pakistan.
“PRC foreign interference is wide-ranging. It targets all levels of government,” the report of the Hogue foreign interference commission said, adding Beijing seeks to “control and influence Chinese diaspora communities, shape international opinions and influence politicians to support PRC policies.”
While Ottawa has pushed back against Beijing’s meddling in Canadian affairs, U.S. President Donald Trump’s predatory trade policies have prompted Carney to court President Xi Jinping.
Dissidents, however, are warning that they are experiencing increased harassment and that Carney’s reengagement with Xi may have emboldened China to continue targeting them.
“The Canadian government is encouraging the Chinese dictator Xi Jinping to do whatever he wants, whatever he needs. And he knows that, clearly,” said human rights activist Sheng Xue.
Likely because of her activism, Xue said she was regularly targeted, including having her email address used in threats to attack venues hosting Shen Yun performances.
She said Carney’s policy was sending the message that it was okay to work with China, since the prime minister was doing so, and that some would take it as a green light to help the communist party exert influence in the community.
Canadian political leaders should be standing beside those who are persecuted by China, such as pro-democracy activists, Falun Gong, Tibetans and Uyghurs, Xue said.
“There are so many, but I’m so sorry that our prime minister, he chose to stand beside Xi Jinping,” she said.
“It is, of course, totally wrong.”
The Prime Minister’s Office did not respond to questions.
Stewart.Bell@globalnews.ca
The reason why Jeff Semple and these anti-China stories are always “exclusive” to Global is that the other credible media in Canada actually take their journalism and due diligence seriously and would tell the entire story. I am, or was, a big fan of Global National but if this is an example of its news reporting and gathering, I’ll stick to the other major networks, thank you.
I commend Jeff Semple and Stewart Bell for such an excellent coverage of such a critically important topic. Also Kudos to management of Vancouver Civic Centre for their integrity and backbone, which is much needed in today’s world. The Chinese Councilor in Vancouver should be expelled as Persona Non Grata.
Nowhere in this article is there any mention of Falun Gong being a predatory cult that targets the elderly to steal money from them. There is also no mention what occurred in January of 2001 when they drove 5 people including a mother and her two children to self immolate in Tiananmen Square. This is not an organization that should be allowed to operate in Canada.
In the early 2000s, multiple cult members set themselves on fire because they’re convinced that’s the way to “reach Falun spirits”. A cruel and evil cult. And they are racists. No thank you. Keep your propaganda there yourselves.
I googled and found Stepping Into the Uncanny, Unsettling World of Shen Yun. Interesting read, indeed. Why is the Dali Lama’s relation so n the CIA payroll exactly?
神韵是一个资金雄厚、善于操纵舆论的邪教组织，它根本算不上受害者。与其相信资助特朗普连任总统的厌女症和右翼保守主义，还不如相信《纽约时报》对事实的准确报道。
那幾個拿紐約時報出來說話的，你請記住，紐約時報夸中共已經不是一兩天的事了，為了吸引眼球不惜毀壞自己名聲的百年老報因該也就此到頭了，而發表污衊神韻報導的那個記者，他爹就是妥妥的在美中共代理人，這種人寫得東西怎麼可能有說服力？紐約時報變成今天這個樣子也不是一兩天的事，是中共長期的藍金黃計劃導致的，而加拿大現在就是在經歷一模一樣的滲透而不自知……
Canada,和one Canada, 你連自己的名字都不敢放出來，难道是也覺得自己的評論有問題？怎麼，有人會因為你的名字去騷擾你？拜託，這是中共才會幹的事！
我不知道這個最新評論裡神韻的黑暗面在哪裡，我只知道紐約時報這篇報導是共諜寫得，本身就是跨國鎮壓的一部分，有何可信度？
Global National censors this comment section. Pretty hypocritical given its yellow journalism. This should be reported to the association. Disgusting, frankly.
So why did Global National censor the NY Times and New Yorker article links I just posted outlining the “dark side” and manipulation of Shen Yun? Check out who paid the 2nd largest amount on Facebook supporting Trump’s re-election– google Falun Gong wikipedia. It’s all there.
Global National should trace the funding of these so-called human rights lobby groups (aside from admitting the Dali Lama’s own relation in the CIA payroll for a number of years). Try the UK– oh, yes, the former “Empire” still hanging on to its Yellow Peril call that it might some day still call itself the great Super Powe of the world. Ditto United Propaganda of America.
Why does the government keep kissing their ass. Sad🤓🤓🤓
Great to have this deep covering, appreciate a lot. We are people don’t know behind, which is destroying Canada Institute.
great article！
The CCP went too far. It’s absolutely not acceptable. Ottawa should not turn a blind eye on its severe human rights abuses when trade with the communist regime.
“The Canadian government is encouraging the Chinese dictator Xi Jinping to do whatever he wants, whatever he needs. And he knows that, clearly,”
This is true.
You’re making a lot of serious claims here (abuse, extremism, etc.), but you’re not actually providing any sources to support them. Saying something is “well documented” isn’t the same as showing that it is.
If there’s strong evidence, it should be easy to point to specific reports, investigations, or credible sources. Without that, it just comes across as a list of assertions rather than an argument.
I’m open to looking at evidence if you have it, but right now there’s nothing here to evaluate.
Our Chinese Masters have spoken!
You’re only reporting part of the story, please refer to the New York Times article on Shen Yun to get a better picture of what Shen Yun is actually like. I know from my travels in China that Fallun Gong is considered a cult and the New York Times article shows this.
Canadian prime minister should not choose to stand beside dictator Xi jinping.
We absolutely cannot allow the CCP to dictate how we Canadians live our life. This is foreign interference right at our door! Wake up Canada!
And kudos to Shen Yun! Expose that evil regime. Show us the real China before communism!
Uh…we’re entitled to freedom of speech and expression in CANADA, are we not?
Great article !!!
Were does the mayor of Vancouver fit in?
Carney’s reengagement with Xi have emboldened China to continue targeting the traditional values of liberal democracy in Canada.Could this incident be part of the police cooperation agreement between China and Canada?
I have to say, while the criticisms of foreign interference are surely welcome, this article seems to purposefully omit a lot of critical context. That being, that this isn’t just an innocent random dance show. The Falun Gong are a right wing extremist organization and very, VERY well documented cult, which physically and emotionally abuses their members, especially these performers, who are forced into isolation and made to live on a compound, where they are beaten, starved, and punished it an attempt by the Falun Gong to perfect their performances. We are essentially talking about a Chinese scientology here, but with even more openly document cases of abuse, scandal, and dishonesty. It is fair to criticize China’s interference and attempts to sway the city government, but most of this article doesn’t even seem as concerned with that as it does with portraying the Falun Gong in a sympathetic light.
To be completely honest, I feel that this article crosses into journalistic malpractice in the way that it refuses to include any of these details, and instead paint, again, a very well documented cult, as these champions of free speech against the Chinese government. I guess it is more convenient to just instrumentalize those parts and omit the countless stories of intense abuse of its members, and to omit their actual political views and aims – including being virulently racist and strictly against race mixing, and being an actively anti-gay organization that believes LGBTQ people to be an abomination. They even have a newspaper, the Epoch Times, where they routinely publish these opinions as the official stance of the organization. It’s not like any of this is a secret. Everybody knows this… so what is the point of purposefully trying to hide this and avoid it? It doesn’t make sense to me, and I find it disappointing coming from Global News of all places.
And this Liberal government wants to cozy up with Beijing. What a betrayl of the diaspora who are then put in harms way because Beijing can operate in Canada with near immunity. Shame on Carney and his government!
The Chinese Communist Party’s suppression of dissenting voices in Western societies is becoming increasingly brazen, and our governments should take more effective measures to respond.
Ok,
Chinese Communism Party, Please stop interfering in Canada’s internal affairs!!!
Although both Canada and China begin with capital ‘C’, We are still not same! ok?
Thank you for the truthful and thorough reporting! Glad to see Shen Yun coming back but it’s original cancellation is extremely concerning. It’s not just about a show, it’s the fact that a foreign government can affect what Canadians can see or do. Even more concerning this all happened around the time that (which was alluded to in this video) Carney and other officials were reluctant to acknowledge their human rights violations. Thanks again Global News!
we have to protect our country from the CCP!!!
Thank you very much for this article to tell the truth. This is the truthful newspaper for Canadian.
Great article!
Well written! Keep up the good work! The CCP is an evil force !
Nothing will be done to protect Canadians from the CCP.
“Global News is not naming the city employee who met the consulate officials due to potential safety concerns.”
STOP. There is no excuse to withhold any information from the public global you think you are the gods of information but youre just a government mouthpiece
Shame on global news for failing to report that high-control coercive Falong Gong is a cult akin to Scientology. The performers are little more than slaves, utterly in control of the cult, much like Scientology forces/brainwashes those unfortunate enough to have been born into the cult in Clearwater, FL into,perpetual servitude. So in this conflict, like the Israel/US-Iran War, there are no good guys, it’s a conflict between horribly venal villains. A pix on both their houses!
Joe Clark proposed moving Canada’s embassy to Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. While that’s no longer a reasonable option, let me suggest moving our embassy to China from Beijing to Taipei.
Chinese communist party and Carney and liberal government share the same offices..