From harassing relatives back home to disrupting protests and spying on critics in other countries, China is one of the most aggressive governments in targeting dissidents abroad. We follow three dissidents in America as they continue their fight for democracy.
Juntao Wang, a primary organiser of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and one of the world’s most renowned Chinese dissidents, has led the Democratic Party of China for more than a decade from its New York headquarters. But, wherever he goes, pro-Beijing mobs often follow. While showing support for Taiwan’s democracy, his group is violently attacked.
Artist Weiming Chen, who criticises the Chinese government through his sculptures, has been spied on and had his work burned down. Meanwhile, asylum seeker Chunyan Wang, forced into exile after her house was appropriated by the Chinese government, is constantly surveilled. She takes her protest directly to the Chinese Vice Premier during US-China trade talks. But her attempts to hand him a petition lead to her being arrested and tried for a criminal conviction, facing ten years in prison if found guilty.
Combining intimate observational footage, rich archival materials and an investigative approach, this film reveals the extent to which Chinese repression extends beyond its borders.