US Accuses Chinese Dissident of Espionage for Beijing Amid Ongoing Concerns Over Chinese Intelligence

August 26:
New York federal prosecutors have formally charged a Chinese dissident currently residing in the United States with espionage on pro-democracy movement groups and clandestinely working for the Chinese Ministry of State Security, according to CBS News.

According to CBS, authorities have charged Yuanjun Tang of volunteering to serve for China's intelligence service decades after he had already campaigned against the Chinese Communist Party during the 1989 Tiananmen Square demonstrations and sought asylum in Taiwan and the United States. The desire to help Tang's family go to mainland China is revealed in court filings.

The report goes on to say that Yuanjun Tang is accused of spreading news regarding the 2021 Tiananmen Square massacre commemorative events in New York. Another accusation is that he reportedly shared details regarding a congressional candidate's campaign staff and fundraising activities with a Chinese dissident and human rights activist a year later.

Court documents show that Tang helped the Chinese spy monitor a U.S.-based group chat frequented by Chinese dissidents. His three counts include making false statements to investigators, serving as an agent of a foreign government, and an additional crime that has not been specified.

An American citizen of Chinese ancestry who had been the head of a pro-democracy group was found guilty earlier this month by a New York jury of conspiring with Chinese intelligence agents to spy on political dissenters.

There has been a long and winding history of Chinese espionage in the US, with several high-profile cases and persistent worries around cyber and intelligence operations.

Chinese espionage during the Cold War began with attempts to penetrate US military and scientific institutions. Kevin Mallory's indictment in 2017 on charges of spying for China brought the 2010s into sharp focus, as did the heightened scrutiny that followed. The Washington Post, a newspaper based in the United States, also covered this story.Thefts of technology, intellectual property, and political influence operations are currently a source of worry. In response, the US government has ramped up counterintelligence efforts to tackle these threats.