US prosecutors have filed criminal charges against a 67-year-old Chinese dissident, Yuanjun Tang, accusing him of acting as an agent for Beijing’s intelligence service. Tang, who is now a naturalized US citizen, was arrested on Wednesday in New York City, according to a statement released by the US Department of Justice (DOJ).
Tang is alleged to have conducted espionage activities on behalf of China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS), the country’s principal civilian intelligence agency. He is accused of spying on Chinese democracy activists and dissidents residing in the US, regularly receiving instructions from MSS officers via encrypted chats, emails, and other means.
The DOJ claims that between 2018 and 2023, Tang reported on individuals and groups considered threats to the Chinese government, including prominent US-based Chinese democracy activists. He allegedly participated in face-to-face meetings with MSS officers and aided the MSS in infiltrating a group chat used by Chinese dissidents and pro-democracy activists to discuss and criticize the Chinese government.
Tang’s alleged collaboration with China’s intelligence agency was reportedly driven by a desire to reunite with his family in mainland China, as reported by CBS, the BBC’s US news partner. Tang, who had previously been imprisoned in China for opposing the Chinese Communist Party, defected to Taiwan in 2002 before seeking asylum in the United States.
Tang has also been charged with making materially false statements to the FBI. The DOJ’s statement highlights the serious nature of the charges, which include acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government.
As of now, it is unclear who will represent Tang in court, as the BBC could not immediately identify his legal counsel.