Overview

• The Office of Immigrant Affairs scheduled a Sept. 30 flag-raising sponsored by the Pennsylvania United Chinese Coalition to mark the Chinese Communist Party’s anniversary.
• House Select Committee on China Chair John Moolenaar sent a Sept. 25 letter urging Mayor Cherelle Parker to cancel the event and end ties with Tianjin, citing human-rights abuses and United Front concerns.
• Rushan Abbas of Campaign for Uyghurs called on the city to stand with victims of tyranny and not host the ceremony.
• City Solicitor Renee Garcia told Newsweek that Philadelphia has held similar flag-raisings for more than 20 countries this year and that such events are not endorsements of foreign governments.
• Philadelphia held comparable ceremonies in 2017 and 2019, but the latest plan faces intensified scrutiny given strained U.S.–China relations.