U.S. lawmakers have introduced a bipartisan bill aimed at increasing penalties for foreign government agents who engage in "transnational repression" on American soil. The "Stop Transnational Repression Act," put forward by Democratic Senator Adam Schiff and Republican Senator John Curtis, seeks to counter intimidation tactics employed by countries like China and Iran.
The legislation comes in response to measures such as China's ethnic unity law, which Beijing states allows it to target critics abroad. If passed, the bill would provide a federal definition for transnational repression, classifying it as any effort by a foreign state's agent or proxy to "harass, coerce, or threaten a person, including by force or reasonable fear of death." Convicted individuals could face up to an additional 10 years in prison.
Senator Schiff described the bill as a bipartisan effort to address a growing national threat, citing China's efforts to intimidate those who do not align with its regime. Senator Curtis characterized transnational repression as an attack on U.S. sovereignty and freedoms. Reports indicate that Chinese communities in the U.S., along with activists supporting Taiwan, Tibet, and Uyghur causes, have faced harassment and intimidation from agents allegedly acting on behalf of Beijing, though China denies these accusations.
Human rights organization Freedom House reports that China has been linked to the majority of documented transnational repression cases globally since 2014. The bill's introduction follows recent legal actions, including a New York man's conviction for operating an unregistered Chinese government "secret police station" and the sentencing of two men for a plot directed by Iran to stalk and kill an Iranian-American activist.