A Chinese national living in Southern California who was managing the campaign of a local city council member has been accused of espionage on behalf of the People's Republic of China for “malicious” purposes.
On Thursday, federal agents arrested Yaoning “Mike” Sun, 64, of Chino Hills, California, about 55 miles east of Los Angeles. According to Department of Justice Press ReleaseSun is accused of acting as an illegal agent of the People's Republic of China and conspiring with another Chinese national, John Chen, also known as Chen Jun, who has already been convicted of federal crimes.
Last month, Mr. Chen, 71, was sentenced to 20 months in prison for “acting as an unregistered agent of China and bribing IRS officials.” Department of Justice Press Release Said.
Before his conviction, Mr. Chen is said to have worked with Mr. Sun to help elect local candidates deemed friendly to Chinese interests to public office. According to the press release, both men wanted to have “influence” on the candidates “particularly regarding the Taiwan issue.”
of criminal charges Against Sun did not name the politician that Sun campaigned for, but referred to the candidate only as “Individual 1.” Instead, Individual 1 was elected to the Southern California City Council in 2022, and Sun said he served as Individual 1's “campaign manager and close personal friend.”
“The People's Republic of China seeks to influence U.S. foreign and domestic policy.”
Before and after Individual 1's election, Chen appears to have acted as a mastermind, and Sun was tasked with providing frequent updates to Chen regarding Individual 1's future prospects, information that Chen then shared with China. He is said to have informed the Communist Party.
“Chen was in frequent contact with Sun and instructed him to submit a report on the election of Person 1 and provide it to the 'United Front' so that it could contact the 'Big Boss desk'.” “United,'' the complaint said, explaining that “United.'' “Front” probably refers to the “United Front Work Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee,” and “Big Boss” probably refers to high-ranking officials in the Chinese Communist Party.
According to the criminal complaint, Chen also worked directly with Individual 1 at times. On Election Day 2022, the day Individual 1 won the City Council election, Individual 1 allegedly texted Chen the following message: “Lao SUN is contacting me. Please call me back. He is with me.'' Mr. Chen responded, “Okay, congratulations. I will be returning to the United States on the 15th, so please speak to me directly.''
Additionally, Chen is said to have once told Individual 1:[You are] You are doing a good job, so I hope you will continue to do good work and make the Chinese people proud. ”
Person 1 may also be of Chinese nationality. According to the criminal complaint, Son once provided detailed biographical information about Cheng Individual 1.
[Individual 1] Born in the late 70's. Han people. Born in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China. great-grandfather [Relative 1] (Commander during the Wuchang uprising). [Relative 2] (Captain of the Nakayama gunboat). father [Relative 3] (former [occupation redacted]). [Individual 1] He immigrated to the United States from Chengdu in 1995 and studied at university. [redacted]. He later served as a committee member. [redacted]. Establishment [names of businesses redacted]. In November 2022, [Individual 1] was elected with the most votes as [redacted] …
Mr. Chen appears to have considered both Sun and Person 1 to be members of “our exclusive basic team.” The criminal complaint alleges that Mr. Chen wants to form a “U.S.-China Friendship Promotion Association” and promotes U.S. celebrations such as the Los Angeles Rose Parade and the Fourth of July Parade in Washington, D.C., to counter “anti-China” sentiments. They claim that they encouraged pro-China people to participate in the event. individuals and organizations in China.
A photo included in the criminal complaint against Son shows Chen shaking hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The photo appears to have been taken in May 2021.
news coverage Sun's arrest does not suggest that Individual 1 has been charged with a crime.
Associated Press Sun is listed as the campaign treasurer for 2022 Arcadia City Council member-elect Eileen Wang, according to the report. Wang and Sun are also reportedly affiliated with US News Center, which appears to be a California news organization.
Wang did not respond to the media's request for comment.
Blaze News tried to contact the Sun for comment, but phone numbers associated with the Sun could not be reached. The Associated Press could not identify an attorney representing Sun.
“The conduct alleged in this complaint is deeply disturbing,” U.S. attorney Martin Estrada said in a statement about Sun's arrest. He has been charged with acting under an influence.”
“This incident is yet another example of a very worrying trend in which the People's Republic of China seeks to influence the foreign and domestic policies of the United States,” Estrada said in a call with reporters. Ta. “To that end, Chinese government officials are trying to help select people they believe are friendly to China's foreign policy.”
Akil Davis, deputy director of the FBI's field office in Los Angeles, said Sun's case “underscores the extent of China's persistent intelligence and malicious activities targeting the United States.”
H/T: new york post
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