Recently, the grassroots monitoring system of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has introduced a new direction of control, with overseas returnees being included in the key monitoring targets. Information from places like Shenzhen indicates that under the atmosphere of “anti-spying,” international students and returned settlers are unified as subjects requiring “special attention,” even seen as “foreign forces” with their daily words and actions under observation.
According to Mr. Yang, a community grid system manager in Longgang, Shenzhen, street offices have instructed grid staff to pay attention to returnees in the neighborhood. He mentioned that amidst the heavy anti-spying sentiment, communities are keeping track of individuals returning from abroad, monitoring their speech, such as any remarks comparing China unfavorably to foreign countries, promoting foreign welfare benefits and higher earnings, and paying attention to families with overseas backgrounds.
Mr. Yang revealed that local grid staff are tasked with documenting the activities of returnees, including their interactions and daily communications. He noted that in some communities, returnees are defined as “foreign forces,” emphasizing that the current focus is on cracking down on “spies,” which essentially encourages residents to report individuals who complain, criticize the CCP system, and even implies that many people choosing to “lie flat” are influenced by foreign forces.
In a recent development, a segment of Chinese media personality Cheng Yizhong’s experience circulated within a WeChat group. Cheng Yizhong wrote about the impact of the “Sound Awakening • 2026 Southern Friends Circle Partnership Conference” which led to repercussions for host Guo Hua and the organization involved. Prior to the conference day, plainclothes personnel from a political and legal institution in Shenzhen visited the office of the Southern Friends Circle and the restaurant hosting the conference, citing safety reasons and requesting the event’s cancellation, which was declined.
He reported that during the conference on March 5th, there were patrol cars below the restaurant and plainclothes personnel present upstairs. The Southern Friends Circle WeChat public account published related articles on the event that evening. However, the article was deleted on March 6th, and the account was permanently banned on March 14th. On March 18th, Guo Hua was summoned and rebuked by the publicity department of Nanshan District in Shenzhen, relating to involvement with so-called “foreign forces” and implicating investigative journalist Liu Hu among the awardees.
Additionally, on the same day, the Market Supervision Bureau of Nanshan District entered the Southern Friends Circle office, issued a rectification notice, and sealed products being sold on behalf of the organization; while personnel from the Public Security Bureau of Nanshan District visited Guo Hua’s residence, checked the identity information of his family members, and issued a rectification notice.
Veteran Chinese media figure Wu Ting (pseudonym) mentioned that the CCP authorities are now scrutinizing individuals returning to China for family visits or settlement, especially media professionals, based on the “foreign forces” standard. He expressed, “In the past, the authorities attracted a large number of returnees, where the overseas experiences of Chinese nationals were once considered talents, but now they are seen as so-called foreign forces. With recent national security articles painting ‘lying flat’ as a production of foreign forces, this trend evokes memories of the Cultural Revolution.”
A retired resident, Mr. Chen from Baiyun District in Guangzhou, commented that grid staff in his neighborhood have been notably active lately, frequently contacting residents via WeChat. He mentioned feeling like he was under investigation when asked about the frequency of contact with his son and the nature of his son’s work in the United States, indicating intrusive questioning by grid staff who seem more focused on prying into personal matters rather than performing legitimate duties.
Ms. Xu, a Christian living in a community in Weifang, Shandong, mentioned the recent implementation of grassroots “two-way linkage” efforts, which frequently emphasize preventing the infiltration of “foreign forces.” She shared an exchange with a local security officer, questioning the constant reference to “foreign forces,” drawing parallels to the CCP’s past revolutionary ideologies inspired by Marxist-Leninism coming from overseas. However, the officer had no response to her inquiry and even suggested she attend Three-Self Church gatherings instead of family church meetings.
Following the 2023 revision of the “Counter-Espionage Law” in China, which expanded the scope of related behaviors, governments across the country have launched publicity campaigns and inspection actions, integrating community and grid management systems in the execution process. Recently, national security departments have strengthened the narrative surrounding “hostile forces” through the issuance of articles and promotional materials, aiming to foster anti-Western perceptions at a societal level.
Scholar Hu Li from Sichuan mentioned that in instances where authorities are unable to identify specific espionage cases, they have broadened the focus to include individuals with overseas experiences, transforming a section of the population who were once seen as talent due to their international exposure into observed subjects. This approach has made the situation for returnees in employment, social interactions, and public activities sensitive, reflecting clear characteristics of a rule by surveillance.