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Two Convicted in US for Acting as Unauthorized Agents for China
A New York community leader was found guilty of operating an unauthorized Chinese police station in Manhattan. Separately, the mayor of Arcadia, California, pleaded guilty to publishing pro-China content at the direction of Chinese officials. The cases occurred as President Donald Trump traveled to Beijing for trade talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
May 16, 7:15 PM·2m read2 sources
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A 64-year-old president of a Chinese community group was found guilty this week of acting as an unauthorized foreign agent for China after federal authorities accused him of operating an overseas police station in Manhattan's Chinatown. The individual, Lu Jianwang, opened an office in 2022 in a building above a ramen store.
His lawyers said the space was intended to help Chinese expats renew driver's licenses and host social activities such as mahjong and ping pong. Prosecutors said the office functioned as the first known Chinese secret police station in the United States and that Lu used it to monitor critics of the Chinese government.
In one instance, prosecutors said Chinese officials directed Lu to verify the location of a longtime critic who had left China in 2013. Lu's co-defendant had already pleaded guilty to related charges. Lu faces up to 30 years in prison.
Separately, the mayor of Arcadia, California, pleaded guilty this week to acting as an unauthorized foreign agent. Officials said she posted propaganda on a website aimed at the Chinese American community at the direction of the Chinese government. The content included statements denying genocide and forced labor in China's Xinjiang region.
China has faced international criticism over its treatment of Uyghurs in Xinjiang, where evidence indicates millions have been held in camps. Chinese authorities describe the facilities as re-education centers.
The convictions occurred in the same week that President Donald Trump met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. The two leaders focused on trade and did not address espionage issues. China has been accused of establishing at least 100 overseas police stations in 53 countries.
