Philadelphia [US], October 6 : A recent flag-raising ceremony at Philadelphia's City Hall has ignited significant backlash after city officials hoisted the flag of the People's Republic of China just ahead of the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) National Day.
The event, held on September 30, was sharply criticised in a detailed commentary published by The Epoch Times, which highlighted concerns over CCP influence and questioned the wisdom of honouring a regime accused of severe human rights violations.
Unlike ceremonies celebrating allies like Ukraine or Taiwan, the Philadelphia event paid tribute to what The Epoch Times described as "a genocidal regime" and "history's greatest threat to the United States and to democracy."
The Chinese national flag was raised with the participation of a counsellor from the Chinese Consulate General in New York--an office previously linked to espionage and political influence operations, according to the Epoch Times report.
According to The Epoch Times, the event was organised by local groups including the Pennsylvania United Chinese Coalition and the Greater Philadelphia Fujian Hometown Association--both of which, Congressman John Moolenaar (R-Mich) alleges, have connections to the Chinese Communist Party's United Front system.
According to the commentary, Moolenaar, who chairs the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the CCP, had sent a formal letter requesting the event's cancellation.
He also called for a re-evaluation of Philadelphia's long-standing sister-city relationship with Tianjin, China--a relationship established in 1979 during the early stages of US-China diplomatic
Earlier, Rushan Abbas, Founder and Executive Director of the Campaign for Uyghurs, had also sent a letter to Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, urging her to cancel the planned flag-raising ceremony for China set for September 30.
In her letter, Abbas had highlighted the severe human rights violations committed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) under the flag that is scheduled to be raised.
In the letter Rushan shared a deeply personal story about her sister, Dr Gulshan Abbas, a retired medical doctor and grandmother, who is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence in China. According to Rushan, her sister was imprisoned solely because of Rushan Abbas's peaceful advocacy work in the United States.