China Uses Interpol to Silence Its Critics
In April 2021, while businessman “H.” was awaiting an extradition hearing in Bordeaux, France, he received an unexpected call from an old friend billionaire Jack Ma, co-founder of Alibaba. Ma had been tasked by the Chinese government with delivering a message: return to China and testify in a high-profile corruption case or stay and face trial.
Ma said: “If you don’t return, they will destroy you for sure.”
These remarks came a month after French authorities arrested “H.” based on a red notice from Interpol a global police alert accusing him of money laundering and complicity in an embezzlement scandal.
The case of “H.,” documented in court records obtained by the ICIJ and its media partners as part of the “China’s Targets” investigation, shows how Beijing exploits the world’s largest international police organization to pursue political objectives.
State-Supported Intimidation Strategies
These tactics go beyond Interpol. China’s global campaign to silence its alleged enemies has spread across other international institutions, including the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva.
The ICIJ investigation uncovered hidden ties between dozens of NGOs with consultative status at the UN and the Chinese government and Communist Party. These Chinese-backed groups work to suppress independent voices and whitewash China’s human rights record, while also monitoring critics of the regime.
Testimony from a Former Official
Michelle Taylor, former U.S. ambassador to the UN Human Rights Council, said: “It’s conspiratorial. It’s dishonest. It’s destructive.”
A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in the U.S. did not directly respond to questions about China’s links to UN-affiliated NGOs or the use of Interpol red notices, but stated that the country “strictly adheres to international law and the sovereignty of other states.”
International Complicity
The ICIJ also found that authorities in other countries — including democracies — sometimes help suppress China’s critics. During seven visits by President Xi Jinping between 2019 and 2024, local police arrested dozens of protesters often for peaceful acts like carrying a bag that read “Free Tibet.”
Investigative Report by Me Abdelilah Anqir
