New York Man Charged as Illegal Chinese Agent in US

Yuanjun Tang, 67, has been charged with operating as an illegal agent of the Chinese government in the U.S. from 2018 to 2023. Tang allegedly spied on Chinese pro-democracy activists and dissidents, providing information to China’s Ministry of State Security. He is also accused of false statements to the FBI.

Yuanjun Tang, a 67-year-old resident of New York, has been charged with operating as an illegal agent of the Chinese government in the United States from 2018 to 2023, the Department of Justice announced on Wednesday.

Tang is accused of providing China's Ministry of State Security (MSS) with information on Chinese pro-democracy activists and dissidents. The DOJ alleged that he infiltrated encrypted group chats used by these dissidents.

In addition to espionage, Tang is also charged with making false statements to the FBI, claiming he no longer had access to an email account used to communicate with his MSS handler. According to the DOJ, Tang, once a Chinese citizen who was imprisoned for his dissident activities, was granted political asylum in the U.S. and later gained citizenship.

A Chinese Embassy spokesperson stated they were unaware of the case details but emphasized that China requires its citizens abroad to comply with local laws and firmly opposes any groundless allegations against the country.

(With inputs from agencies.)