China

US Charges One American, Four Chinese Officials With Spying

MAR 16 2022·Updated DEC 21 2022

Story

Image credit: Bloomberg [via the Washington Post]

The Facts

On Wed., the DoJ said that a US citizen and four Chinese intelligence officers have been indicted on charges related to spying on Chinese dissidents, human rights leaders, and pro-democracy activists residing in the US. The indictment was unsealed on Tuesday.
wapo
Wang Shujun, 73, of Queens, NY- who was arrested on Mar. 16 - stands accused of collecting information about activists on behalf of China's Ministry of State Security (MSS).
NBC
The four MSS officials, who the DOJ has identified as Feng He, Jie Ji, Ming Li, and Keqing Lu, are still at large.
NBC
The prosecutions in the Eastern District of NY are part of the DOJ's new strategy for fighting what it deems transnational repression - such as espionage and cyberattacks - by authoritarian governments.
wapo
The strategy was launched in Feb., coinciding with the shutting down of the 'China Initiative,' which had sparked controversy over alleged targeting of ethnic Chinese.
wapo
Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt, and Belarus have also been accused in the past two years of launching efforts to silence, harass, and spy on US residents exercising their freedom of speech.
NBC

Sources Split

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The Spin

Anti-China narrative

Transnational repression threatens the rule of law and harms people in the US. The intimidation tactics of the PRC, and other nations, are contrary to fundamental American values and unacceptable. This is the first step in holding those involved accountable.

USA Today

Pro-China narrative

America is again making baseless accusations in an attempt to hype up the 'China threat' and smear China's reputation. They would do better to stop with their cold-war mentality and focus more on strengthening US-China ties.