Digital Social Hour: Joshua Philipp – CCP’s Secret War on U.S. Agencies EXPOSED (DSH #1476)

Date: August 3, 2025
Host: Sean Kelly
Guest: Joshua Philipp (Investigative Reporter, Epoch Times)

Episode Overview

In this explosive and in-depth episode, investigative journalist Joshua Philipp joins Sean Kelly at the Student Action Summit to expose the sweeping infiltration and subversion efforts of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) within U.S. agencies, civil society, academia, and business. Through years of on-the-ground investigation, Philipp details the “secret war” waged by the CCP, illustrating how these soft power and intelligence operations undermine American sovereignty, freedom of speech, and democracy itself. The episode delivers a rare big-picture perspective, connecting disparate threads – from student spies to mafia infiltration, media manipulation, and legislative subversion.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why the U.S.–China Issue Matters to Every American (01:14–02:28)

• Joshua Philipp emphasizes that CCP subversion touches on issues across the spectrum: geopolitics, agriculture, business, and cultural freedom.
  • “Every issue has some element, I’d say, of CCP subversion … A lot of my work has been investigating that, going all the way back to 2008, when my job as investigative reporter started.” (Joshua Philipp, 01:19)
• Example: NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom punished for criticizing current CCP slave labor, while other athletes protest U.S. history with impunity (01:19).
• The CCP’s influence is “the missing piece” behind corruption, media censorship, and much more.

2. Election Interference: The 2020 Case Study (02:39–04:41)

• Philipp explains how congressional investigations revealed the CCP attempted to interfere in the 2020 U.S. elections by shipping counterfeit driver’s licenses to be used for mail-in ballot fraud (03:11).
  • “They intercepted an actual shipment of counterfeit fake IDs coming from China that exactly fit in with what they were warned about.” (Joshua Philipp, 03:05)
• Elaborate setup: Universal mail-in voting was made possible by COVID-19, and Philipp asserts the virus was intentionally leaked outside China, facilitating these subversive policies (03:11–04:41).

3. The CCP’s Response to Global Criticism: The "Bloody Olympics" and Media Censorship (06:43–08:35)

• Following bad press leading up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the CCP aggressively targeted Western media, threatening access to Bloomberg’s financial systems to silence coverage.
  • “It wasn’t enough to silence the media … They also had to silence overseas dissidents.” (Joshua Philipp, 07:38)
• Major media went quiet; the CCP then launched a global media initiative: placing propaganda in Times Square, paid inserts in the NYT and WSJ, and direct suppression of “no go topics.”

4. Grassroots Infiltration: Chinese Mafia, Tongs, and the United Front (12:46–16:44)

• Philipp’s first major investigation (Flushing, Queens, 2008): Mob attacks on Chinese human rights activists by “community groups” that turned out to be CCP-fronted tongs, some tied to the Chinese mafia (Fuk Ching Gang).
  • “They’re one of the biggest transnational organized crime groups in the world. … That was the Fuk Ching gang.” (Joshua Philipp, 14:22)
• These organizations have deep ties to local law enforcement and advisory boards, creating stand-down situations and enabling ongoing intimidation and violence.

5. Threats, Intimidation, and Law Enforcement Compromise (15:44–16:44)

• Philipp recounts direct threats to his life and to activists he covered, including detailed assassination threats, tire slashings, and informing law enforcement to deter hits.
  • “I got surrounded multiple times. I mean, people telling me, I'm going to kill you.” (Joshua Philipp, 15:44)
• Larger point: The web of intimidation, bribery, and fear silences both dissidents and journalists.

6. Subversion of U.S. Agencies and Politics (16:44–20:53)

• CCP efforts go far beyond farmland purchases. Congressional investigations (during the Biden administration) revealed 24 federal agencies being actively infiltrated or subverted using tactics such as trade program exploitation, bribery, and the leveraging of CCP’s agricultural interests.
  • “All of them are being targeted and subverted by the Chinese Communist Party.” (Joshua Philipp, 20:52)
• Motivation: Control of natural resources (food, minerals), manipulation of supply chains, and strategic leverage (20:53).

7. Student Spies, Academia, and Influence Operations (20:53–25:13)

• Deep-dive into Chinese Students and Scholars Associations (CSSA), run openly by CCP consulates and the United Front Work Department.
  • “It’s students, professors, faculty members. … It’s the consulates that run every other piece that I’ve been talking about.” (Joshua Philipp, 21:53–22:47)
• Students are forcibly enrolled, monitored, and pressured; those who attend “sensitive” events are punished or their families are threatened (22:47–23:27).
• Some are deliberately grown into U.S. government officials, with tongs supplying fraudulent votes and logistical support (24:53–25:13).
  • “They’ll fund you… What does that mean for the United States? It means that you have people in our government who are not representing the American people. They’re representing the Chinese Communist Party.” (Joshua Philipp, 25:13)

8. Case Study: Attacks on Shen Yun & Civil Society Sabotage (26:28–28:14)

• Example of direct CCP targeting: An arrested spy caught bribing an IRS agent to revoke Shen Yun’s nonprofit status; bomb threats traced to a company tied to Huawei in China, coordinated media smear campaigns, and legal harassment by CCP-connected community members and their U.S. business interests (26:28–28:14).

9. Censorship, Hollywood Co-Production, and Business Cooptation (28:32–31:12)

• Hollywood and media self-censor on “no go topics.” To get Chinese market access, movies must meet ideological and technical requirements:
  • “You have to have at least one scene filmed in China… You have to have core socialist values, communist messaging if you want to have the Chinese market.” (Joshua Philipp, 30:05)
• Businesses and sports (e.g. NBA) lobby on behalf of CCP interests, sometimes without disclosure as foreign agents (30:32–31:12).

10. Civil Society Takeover: Social Media, Influencers, and Propaganda (31:12–34:38)

• The United Front Work Department’s “liaison work” aims at taking over civil society – not just government, but influencers, journalists, Hollywood, and business.
  • “They try to take over the civil society. … China has a program right now where they’re getting any YouTuber with over 300,000 followers and they’re trying to invite them to China. … They’re living in the Truman Show.” (Joshua Philipp, 31:12–32:32)
• Pro-CCP content promoted algorithmically; critics of the CCP are suppressed on major platforms (32:58–33:46).
• Tech companies doing business in China are forced to share source code, create CCP party cells, and grant advisory positions to CCP “princelings” (34:39).

11. The Bigger Picture: Democracy, Values, and National Security (34:38–35:49)

• The CCP has quietly but systematically set up mechanisms to control not just policy, but American values, entertainment, and public discourse.
  • “… They're taking over the civil society. They're making our government, our laws… Not only that, but some of the investigations that we know are triggered by people with massive CCP ties are being allowed to move forward and they're going after them now. It's going to be someone else after.” (Joshua Philipp, 34:38–35:49)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the scope of CCP subversion:
  “We, in my opinion, risk losing our government while maintaining the surface image of our government if this is allowed to continue.” (Joshua Philipp, 16:21)

• On student spies:
  “Some of them have you do what they call serving in place. … They might say, we need a spy in the CIA. … They might say, we need a spy in the Justice Department.” (Joshua Philipp, 24:23)

• On Hollywood’s submission to CCP demands:
  “You can't show the CCP in a negative light. You can't show the US military in a positive light. … You have to have at least one scene filmed in China.” (Joshua Philipp, 30:05)

• On civil society manipulation:
  “China has a program right now where they're getting any YouTuber with over 300,000 followers… paying TikTokers to go to China for propaganda tours… it's the Truman Show.” (Joshua Philipp, 32:29–32:32)

• On the ultimate threat:
  “They're creating systems where they can do anything by manipulating our system of government. And that's the big picture of it.” (Joshua Philipp, 35:50)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Time | Segment | |-------|---------| | 01:19 | Why the CCP is at the heart of U.S. problems | | 03:05 | 2020 Election interference: Counterfeit IDs | | 07:29 | How the CCP pressured global media after "Bloody Olympics" | | 14:22 | Chinese mafia and tongs' infiltration in U.S. communities | | 15:44 | Journalists and activists facing death threats | | 17:04 | Why the CCP is buying U.S. farmland | | 20:52 | 24 Government agencies targeted by the CCP | | 21:53 | Student organizations as CCP front groups | | 25:13 | Infiltration of U.S. government positions and elections | | 26:39 | Shen Yun: Targeted by CCP espionage and intimidation | | 28:32 | "No go topics" in U.S. media and Hollywood | | 30:05 | Hollywood's co-production requirements for access to China | | 32:29 | CCP pays U.S. influencers and TikTokers for propaganda | | 33:46 | YouTube’s suppression of anti-CCP content | | 34:39 | Tech companies forced to cooperate with CCP laws and party cells | | 35:49 | The big picture: Systemic manipulation of U.S. governance |

Where to Find Joshua Philipp

• Show: Crossroads (YouTube, Epoch Times)
• Twitter: @JoshJPhillip
• Note: Free student subscriptions available for Epoch Times.

Summary:
Joshua Philipp’s investigation reveals a vast, coordinated, and ongoing CCP operation that has quietly infiltrated every aspect of U.S. society—a “secret war” not only on agencies and officials, but on the information ecosystem, civil society, legal system, and cultural values themselves. The episode offers direct evidence, memorable anecdotes, and an urgent call for greater awareness and action.