US Telecom Employee Sentenced for Espionage in Falun Gong Case

A former US telecom worker, Ping Li, received a four-year prison sentence for acting as an unregistered agent of the Chinese government. He provided sensitive information to China's Ministry of State Security, including details about Falun Gong members, highlighting ongoing concerns about Chinese espionage in the US.

A former US telecommunications employee was sentenced to four years in prison on Monday for spying on behalf of Beijing. Ping Li, 59, of Florida, admitted to supplying Chinese authorities with sensitive corporate information and personal details of a Falun Gong member in the US as an unregistered agent.

The Falun Gong, a spiritual movement banned in China since 1999, often faces severe persecution. Li, originally from China but now a US resident, worked in major American telecom and IT firms. Reports reveal that since 2012, he supplied information on Chinese dissidents, pro-democracy advocates, and Falun Gong practitioners to China's Ministry of State Security.

The case underscores China's increasing utilization of covert agents to silence critics overseas. This trend is mirrored in another recent conviction of John Chen, 71, also sentenced for his espionage activities against Falun Gong members in the US. These incidents highlight persistent concerns over Chinese espionage, targeting groups perceived as a threat to China's authority.

(With inputs from agencies.)