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Witness Testifies in Trial of Man Accused of Running Unauthorized Chinese Police Station in New York
A dissident who fled China after the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests told a federal court on Monday that he was harassed after demonstrating against an alleged Fuzhou-controlled facility in New York. Xu Jie testified for the government in the trial of Lu Jianwang, 64, who faces charges of acting as an unauthorised agent of China.
May 11, 7:10 PM·1m read1 source
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A US government witness testified on Monday in a New York federal trial that he was harassed after protesting against the establishment of an alleged Fuzhou-controlled police station in the city. Dissident Xu Jie travelled from his home in Pomona, California, to New York after the facility was set up.
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He live-streamed a demonstration against it on YouTube and was subsequently harassed, according to his testimony on behalf of the government.
The trial centres on Lu Jianwang, 64, who has been charged with acting as an unauthorised agent of China, conspiracy to act as a foreign agent, and obstruction of justice. Lu Jianwang pleaded not guilty to the charges. Lu Jianwang's lawyers maintain that the police station was simply a service centre where overseas Chinese could renew their drivers’ licenses as a convenience during the pandemic.
@SCMPNews reported that prosecutors argue the case is part of a pattern underscoring China’s bid to expand its influence beyond its shores. Xu Jie, a native of Nanjing, participated in the 1989 Tiananmen Square democracy protests. He fled the country in 2013 for Laos before heading to the US in 2018.
Asked whether he understood the term “dissident,” Xu Jie said: “I’m very much familiar with dissident. I am one of them. ” The witness told the court he was familiar with the concept from his own experience criticising authorities in China.
