Chinese Communist Party members have reportedly managed to infiltrate a U.S.-based nonprofit embraced by one East Coast mayor’s administration.
The Boston Urban Forum, an organization that states it is “dedicated to nurturing community cohesion and development,” hosts a monthly public meeting at Boston City Hall.
‘China has installed hundreds of CCP proxies in every major city across America.’
However, a Daily Caller News Foundation investigation found that the forum, which “invites officials and professionals from political, academic, and business sectors to discuss municipal policies and livelihood issues,” has hosted speakers identified as CCP members for at least half of its events.
A DCNF translation of Chinese government and university reports found that of the 10 events hosted at Boston City Hall since the BUF’s founding in 2024, at least eight CCP-affiliated moderators or guest speakers attended five of them.
The organization’s website states that its monthly forum was established “with support from the City of Boston.”
Further, it notes that its co-founder, Gary Yu, “joined Michelle Wu’s campaign for Boston Mayor in 2020 as the Chief Asian Community Liaison Director” after “recognizing the need for [the] Asian Community to be more active in politics.”
The DCNF reported in April that Yu helped Wu’s campaign raise over $300,000.
The news outlet also previously revealed that Yu is listed as an official of the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, which federal authorities have warned “was a CCP organization used to influence overseas Chinese.”
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Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
Additionally, Boston participates in a “sister city” program with Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. The DCNF reported that Yu took credit for proposing Boston-Hangzhou Day, noting that Wu was “very supportive” of the idea.
Wu presented the Boston Urban Forum with a certificate of recognition in April and reportedly thanked the organization for its “contributions and service to the community on behalf of the City of Boston.”
Wu was also previously listed as one of the nonprofit’s “VIP guests” until mid-June, according to the DCNF. The City of Boston is still listed as a sponsor of the Boston Urban Forum.
Ina Mitchell, an investigative journalist, told the news outlet, “China has installed hundreds of CCP proxies in every major city across America.”
“These proxies present themselves as civic-minded leaders working to bridge the cultural divide between the U.S. and China at a grassroots level — but they are anything but civic-minded. These bad actors blend in clandestinely, hiding their true allegiance to the ‘motherland’ behind the respectable veneer of legitimate U.S.-based quasi-government organizations,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell explained that China’s proxies use “feel-good endeavors,” such as forums, galas, and other events, to “open up a plethora of opportunities for the CCP’s agents to co-mingle with U.S. lawmakers, police, and titans of industry.”
“If you were to ask me what the endgame is, it’s to make sure that captured lawmakers are influenced to lean toward pro-Beijing policies and shape public narrative in support of China,” Mitchell told the DCNF.
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Boston City Hall. Photo by Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
Scott McGregor, an author and former Canadian intelligence official, told the DCNF that the events provide CCP agents with an opportunity to “craft pro-Beijing narratives where ideological messaging is mixed in subtly within entertainment formats.”
“Ceremonies where U.S. lawmakers give their tacit endorsement to United Front operatives with awards and commendations is another soft propaganda tactic used to build reputational trust for CCP proxies operating in the U.S.,” McGregor continued. “What most American citizens don’t realize is that these proxies and the U.S.-based organizations they have set up here are part of the larger CCP United Front apparatus that is driving the engine of China’s overseas influence operations in America.”
Wu, Yu, and the Boston Urban Forum did not respond to the DCNF’s requests for comment.
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