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(CNN) The FBI has arrested two Chinese agents, and federal prosecutors have charged dozens with working to silence and harass dissidents in the United States. Some even run an “undeclared police station” in New York City.
Lu Jianwang and Chen Jinping allegedly ran a police station in New York City’s Chinatown. Both are U.S. citizens and have been charged with conspiring to act on behalf of the Chinese government and obstructing justice. The police station has been closed since a search warrant was executed at the location last fall, said John Marzouri, spokesman for the US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.
The two men appeared in court on Monday, with Lu released on $250,000 bail and Chen on $400,000 bail. They are not allowed to travel within half a mile of the Chinese consulate or mission, or communicate with any co-conspirators. Neither filed a petition.
Lu retained counsel, but a public defender was represented in the case, and a public defender was appointed to represent Chen. Both public defenders who attended the hearing declined to comment.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has dismissed the FBI’s allegations about the alleged police station and condemned the arrests, accusing them of being an act of “political manipulation” by US authorities.
“China firmly opposes the US side’s slanderous campaign,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a regular news briefing.
“The relevant claims have no factual basis. In fact, there is no such thing as the so-called overseas police station you mentioned,” Wang added.
The US Department of Justice also announced indictments against 34 officers of the People’s Republic of China National Police for harassing Chinese nationals in the US who are critical of the Chinese government.
All 34 are believed to be living in China and are still at large, according to the Justice Department. The police officers were part of an effort by the Chinese government called the “912 Special Project Working Group” to influence global perceptions of the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
According to the Justice Department, agents used social media to make positive posts about China and attack “perceived enemies,” including US and Chinese pro-democracy activists around the world. . According to the Justice Department, the illegal policing is “the first known foreign police station in the United States” set up on behalf of China’s Ministry of Public Security (MPS).
Agents are said to have been directed by MPS to create and maintain accounts that appear to be operated by American citizens. Topics in their propaganda machine include US foreign policy, human rights issues in Hong Kong, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Covid-19, and racial justice protests following the killing of George Floyd, according to prosecutors. .
The agent also posted videos and articles targeted at China’s pro-democracy proponents in the United States, the Justice Department claims, some of which contained explicit death threats. allegedly used intimidation to blackmail people into skipping the pro-democracy movement within the United States.
“China, through its repressive security apparatus, has established a covert physical presence in New York City to monitor and intimidate dissidents and those critical of the Chinese government,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen in a statement. said in “China’s actions go far beyond acceptable nation-state behavior. .”
Interrupting a Zoom meeting
In another case, federal prosecutors allege that executives at a teleconferencing company conspired with others to sabotage a meeting on a platform commemorating the Tiananmen Square crackdown at the direction of the Chinese government.
The video conferencing company was not named in the court documents, but CNN previously reported that it was Zoom.
Executive Xinjiang “Julian” Jin had previously been indicted by the Justice Department on charges of conspiracy. The new complaint adds nine additional charges against him, including six of his officials from the Ministry of Public Security and two of his officials from China’s Cyberspace Administration.
China-based executives and their accomplices repeatedly called in 2018 to disrupt video calls organized by Chinese dissidents in New York City at the request of the Chinese government, according to the Justice Department. According to prosecutors, Jin also identified other accounts linked to the dissident and attempted to place them on servers with slow response times.
In 2019, Jin and his accomplices allegedly worked with the Chinese government to block accounts attempting to commemorate the Tiananmen Square massacre.
Operation from early 2022
The secret police department was set up in early 2022 to identify, track and intimidate Chinese dissidents in the United States, according to court documents.
One such victim, according to prosecutors, is an unnamed California resident who is a “Chinese dissident and Chinese democracy advocate” who will be “a member of the New York State Congress in 2022.” I reported to the FBI that I was acting as an adviser to the candidate.” It has also been the target of China’s pressure campaign.
The victim told the FBI that he received threatening phone calls and social media messages from people believed to be associated with the Chinese government.
In an interview with the FBI, Lu said he set up what he calls the “Overseas Service Center” to help Chinese nationals living in the United States “update Chinese government documents.” In an interview, Lu told investigators that Chen served as the main point of contact with officials back in China.
In a separate interview, Chen initially denied direct contact with the Chinese government, but later retracted.
According to investigators, during that interview, Chen took a seven-minute bathroom break, during which agents repeatedly warned him not to delete anything from his cell phone through the bathroom door. The agent later searched the phone and found that his logs of chats with MPS officials had been wiped.
Lu and Chen later admitted to deleting messages between them and their MPS contact, according to court documents.
This story has been updated with additional details.
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