Bipartisan backlash erupts as Philadelphia raises Chinese flag

Philadelphia officials raised the Chinese flag over City Hall on Tuesday, triggering widespread criticism from lawmakers who argued it legitimizes the Chinese Community Party’s (CCP) authoritarian government.

Driving the news: The flag-raising ceremony took place through the city’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, which partnered with the Pennsylvania United Chinese Coalition and Greater Philadelphia Fujian Hometown Association to commemorate 76 years since the People’s Republic of China was established.

To some, the event does not come as a surprise as Philadelphia has formal sister-city ties with the northern Chinese municipality of Tianjin, which is directly controlled by Beijing. Dance and music performances were part of the annual tradition that began in 2016, though this year’s event faced substantially greater public opposition than previous ceremonies.

What critics are saying: In a letter to Mayor Cherelle Parker, U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Mich.), who chairs the House Select Committee on China, declared that raising China’s flag in Philadelphia is “a disgrace to our nation’s founding values,” pointing to Beijing’s persecution of religious groups such as the Uyghurs. He also emphasized China’s role in financing chemicals used to produce fentanyl, noting Philadelphia’s Kensington area has been devastated by drug abuse, homelessness and crime.

Rushan Abbas, executive director of Campaign for Uyghurs and whose sister received a 20-year prison sentence in China as retaliation for her advocacy, also wrote to Parker, urging that “Philadelphia, the birthplace of the U.S. Constitution, should not be used as a platform for authoritarian propaganda.”

The opposition also crossed party lines: Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat who was born in Philadelphia during the 1976 bicentennial, told Fox News that “the only flag that should be going up there is the American flag.” He added, “The Communist Party, as you know, did so much harm. The Great Leap Forward led to famine. The Cultural Revolution led to huge violations of human rights.”

What the city is saying: Responding to the criticism, City Solicitor Renee Garcia told news outlets that the ceremonies are “not official endorsements of any foreign government” but “expressions of cultural pride by Philadelphia residents.” The event received approval under the Philadelphia Honors Diversity Flag Raising Program, a 2018 initiative celebrating immigrant communities’ cultural heritage and contributions. This year alone, more than 20 nations have been honored, including India, the Philippines and South Vietnam.

“In accordance with First Amendment precedent, the City of Philadelphia’s flag-raising policy applies objective, viewpoint-neutral criteria,” Garcia said. “Specifically, a foreign nation’s flag may be raised if the country maintains a Consulate or Embassy in the United States or is recognized by the U.S. Department of State. The People’s Republic of China meets both criteria.”

The big picture: The controversy highlights deepening tensions within Chinese American communities over cultural identity amid increasingly strained U.S.-China relations. While critics point to the Pennsylvania United Chinese Coalition’s ties to Beijing, many community members see the issue differently. For one, some say that Chinese Americans regard the flag as symbolizing Chinese people rather than communist ideology, comparable to how Irish Americans or Italian Americans relate to their ancestral flags.

Nonetheless, the dispute underscores a painful reality for many Chinese Americans, as celebrating their heritage has become inseparable from accusations of political loyalty to a government they may not support, forcing them to navigate suspicion and scrutiny that other ethnic communities rarely face.