Chinese Dissident Charged with Espionage in the US

Federal prosecutors in New York have charged Chinese dissident Yuanjun Tang with secretly working for China's Ministry of State Security, spying on pro-democracy groups, and relaying information about events and individuals. This case underscores the ongoing concerns over Chinese espionage in the United States.

Federal prosecutors in New York have filed criminal charges against Chinese dissident Yuanjun Tang, accusing him of secretly collaborating with China's Ministry of State Security to spy on pro-democracy activist groups in the US, CBS News has reported.

Court documents reveal Tang, who previously protested against the Chinese Communist Party during the 1989 Tiananmen Square demonstrations and later sought refuge in Taiwan and the US, is alleged to have agreed to work for China's intelligence agency in exchange for facilitating his family's relocation to mainland China. Tang is charged with relaying details about New York events commemorating the Tiananmen Square massacre in 2021 and providing information the following year about a Congressional candidate's campaign, fundraising efforts, and monitoring dissidents' group chats.

Earlier this month, a New York jury found another naturalized US citizen of Chinese descent guilty of collaborating with Chinese intelligence. Instances of Chinese espionage date back to efforts to infiltrate US research during the Cold War, with recent cases including the 2017 indictment of former CIA officer Kevin Mallory. Current concerns focus on technological and intellectual property theft. The US government has increased counterintelligence measures in response.

(With inputs from agencies.)