> threatening to have him deported to China while specifically calling out his public criticism of the CCP with a disgusting "who knows how he may be received"
I think you're overstating it a bit.
How about you tell the whole story?
I think you're overstating it a bit.
How about you tell the whole story?
And if it did, it wasn't that bad.
And if it was, that's not a big deal.
And if it is, that's not my fault.
And if it was, I didn't mean it.
And if I did, he deserved it.
The message has two parts - the response that X wants from Y, and the possible negative consequences for Y. The proximity of the two parts makes the implied link clear (to most people, anyway).
I assure you that 99% of judges and prosecutors would recognise this as blackmail (modulo variance in different countries' legal definitions of the crime).