Chinese Regime Threatens Citizens With an ‘Invitation to Tea’ Over Public Comments

Chinese citizens could be targeted by state security agencies for publicly making negative comments about the country’s economy
Chinese Regime Threatens Citizens With an ‘Invitation to Tea’ Over Public Comments
Police officers and security block the way as they perform crowd control after an official flag raising ceremony to mark National Day next to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City in Beijing on Oct. 1, 2021. Kevin Frayer/Getty Images
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China’s Ministry of State Security has threatened Chinese citizens that they could be “invited to tea” in ten situations it has defined. Political analysts see this as part of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) efforts to further consolidate its power in response to a deepening crisis of its governance amid ongoing economic woes.

An “invitation to tea” is a Chinese Internet buzzword that refers to interrogations or investigations conducted into citizens by state security or public security forces.