Overseas groups supporting the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) violently cracked down on anti-government protesters during President Xi Jinping's visit to San Francisco, California in November to attend the 2023 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders' meeting, according to the Washington Post.

At least 35 pro-China groups representing Chinese people living in the United States have joined forces to protest against dissidents protesting President Xi Jinping's visit to San Francisco, and the Chinese consulate has provided hotels and meals for the pro-China protesters. According to Pro-China protesters, some of whom were diplomats from the Chinese consulate, sprayed chemical irritants at anti-China protesters, hit them with flagpoles and used mobs of young people to beat up dissidents, according to a Washington Post analysis of photos, videos and chat messages from protest groups.

“From Australia to Europe to North America… [the CCP] “They mobilize proxies to ostracize, intimidate, surround and silence activists,” Glenn Tiffert, a distinguished fellow at the Hoover Institution, told The Washington Post. “The tactics are different, but the goal is the same: to isolate, bury, erase and monopolize the field.” (Related: China convicts journalist for 'illegal thoughts' in landmark Hong Kong case)

According to The Washington Post, many anti-CCP protesters used President Xi's arrival to express their dissatisfaction with the Chinese regime, and many groups, including Students for Free Tibet, the Hong Kong Democratic Council, and the China Democratic Party, organized protest groups. There were fights on both sides over the issue, but most of the violence was allegedly perpetrated by pro-CCP protesters.

In the November 17 incident, Zhang Kaiyu, a 51-year-old dissident, was beaten by a group of young Chinese men after yelling “Kill Xi Jinping,” according to The Washington Post. Zhang was beaten unconscious and taken to an emergency room where he was diagnosed with a concussion and multiple other injuries.

In another incident on November 15, a group of pro-China Communist Party protesters tailed and beat dissidents with flagpoles, metal knuckles and metal rods, according to The Washington Post. The next day, a scuffle broke out as Chinese diplomats were en route to a summit, leaving many protesters bloodied and injured, including one hit over the head with a bottle.

According to the Washington Post, the pro-China Communist Party protesters were accompanied by at least 60 private security guards hired by Chinese diplomats to accompany the protesters, some of whom were caught up in violent clashes with anti-government protesters.

Lu Qiang, the “leader of overseas Chinese,” also arranged for hundreds of foreigners in the U.S. to travel by bus to San Francisco during Xi's visit. Lu Qiang used his own travel agency, Dear USA, to arrange the transportation.

At least four Chinese diplomats participated in the protests, two from the San Francisco consulate and two from the Los Angeles consulate, according to the Washington Post. All of them enjoy diplomatic immunity and will not be prosecuted in any investigation into their involvement.

“Everywhere we went, we were outnumbered by pro-China Communist people,” Zhang told The Washington Post.

The Chinese Consulate in San Francisco did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.

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