A B.C. Supreme Court judge has ordered Yun Fei Zhu to pay $275,000 to journalist Bing Chen Gao for defamatory livestreams. The ruling follows a series of protests at Gao's Surrey home where false claims were made that he was a Chinese Communist Party spy.
The shadow of Guo Wengui’s New Federal State of China
The protests targeting Gao were organized by supporters of the New Federal State of China (NFSC), a group founded by Guo Wengui, also known as Miles Guo. The NFSC, which has been linked to former Donald Trump advisor Steve Bannon, presents itself as a political movement aimed at replacing the Chinese Communist Party.. However, the group has faced significant scrutiny, with some observers describing it as a conspiratorial or cult-like entity.
As the report notes, Guo Wengui's own legal troubles have cast a long shadow over his followers. In 2024, Guo was arrested in the United States and subsequently sentenced to 30 years in prison. Sentencing Judge Analisa Torres remarked that Guo exploited individuals seeking democracy to fund a lavish lifestyle and encouraged his supporters to harass those who opposed him.. This pattern of intimidation appears to be a central theme in the events that led to Gao's lawsuit.
False claims of espionage in a Surrey cul-de-sac
The defamation suit centered on a 77-day protest in 2020 and a subsequent week of demonstrations in January 2023 outside Gao's residence in Surrey. During these periods, Zhu used livestreams to broadcast highly damaging allegations against the journalist. According to the court decision, these claims included accusations that Gao was a CCP spy, had failed to pay taxes, and had infiltrated pro-democracy circles to steal personal information.
The protesters also distributed physical materials to spread their message.. A pamphlet circulated by Zhu and others in 2023 claimed that Gao used a specific YouTube channel to disseminate false information on behalf of the CCP. These assertions were intended to paint Gao as a deceptive actor rather than a legitimate critic of the Chinese government, a move the court found to be clearly defamatory.
Why Justice Richard Hewson rejected the "good faith" defense
In his ruling, Justice Richard Hewson determined that Zhu's communications met the legal criteria for defamation by exposing Gao to hatred and ridicule. Zhu attempted to defend his actions by claiming he was acting in good faith regarding matters of public interest. However, the judge dismissed this defense, noting that Zhu provided no evidence to establish the reliability of his sources.
The court found that Zhu made no attempt to contact Gao to seek his side of the story before broadcasting the accusations. Justice Hewson noted that Zhu was merely repeating statements made by others without any effort to verify their truth. Because Zhu acted with a "knowing or reckless disregard for the truth," the judge also dismissed potential defenses of justification, fair comment, and qualified privilege, ultimately awarding the $275,000 in damages.
The missing link between NFSC donations and the Surrey protests
While the court has held Zhu accountable, several aspects of the protest's organization remain obscured. The report mentions that the NFSC raised money through a network of entities associated with Guo Wengui, but the speicfic flow of these funds to the individuals conducting the Surrey protests is not detailed. It remains unclear if the local demonstrations were independently funded or part of a larger, coordinated financial effort by the NFSC.
Furthermore, the identity of all individuals involved in the livestreaming and pamphlet distribution has not been fully clarified. While Zhu was the primary defendant, the extent to which other members of the Guo Wengui network participated in the coordinated harassment of Gao and his associates remains an open question for the public.
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