HARRISBURG – Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-33) condemned today’s planned ceremony to raise the flag of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) over Philadelphia’s City Hall.
“This is a terrible idea,” Mastriano said. “By flying the CCP’s flag over one of America’s most historic cities, we risk sending the message that Pennsylvania condones or legitimizes one of the world’s most brutal regimes. We should be standing with victims of oppression – not honoring their oppressors.”
The CCP has a long and well-documented history of human rights abuses, including:
- Persecution of Christians and other religious minorities such as Uyghur Muslims, Tibetan Buddhists and Falun Gong practitioners. Thousands are imprisoned, tortured or disappeared simply for practicing their faith.
- State-sanctioned organ harvesting, especially from prisoners of conscience, as confirmed by international tribunals and human rights organizations.
- Ongoing suppression of free speech and democracy in Hong Kong and mainland China, where dissent is met with censorship, imprisonment or worse.
- Mass surveillance and repression of citizens, with technology used to enforce totalitarian control rather than protect human rights.
“Philadelphia is the birthplace of American liberty,” Mastriano continued. “It is where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were signed, documents rooted in God-given freedom and human dignity. To hoist the banner of an atheistic regime that persecutes Christians, tramples faith and crushes freedom dishonors the sacrifices of those who built this nation.”
Mastriano called on city leaders to cancel the event and instead use the occasion to highlight the plight of the millions suffering under Communist China’s rule.
“As Pennsylvanians and as Americans, we should be a voice for the persecuted, not a platform for their persecutors,” Mastriano said. “Raising the CCP flag in Philadelphia is not a symbol of cultural exchange – it is a betrayal of our values.”
CONTACT: Donald Beishl, Chief of Staff, 717-787-6701