Federal prosecutors in New York have arrested a Chinese dissident living in the United States on charges of working undercover for China’s intelligence agency and spying on pro-democracy activist groups.
According to a press release from the Department of Justice, Yuanjun Tang, 67, was indicted on charges of conspiring to act as an unregistered agent of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in the United States and making material false statements to the FBI.
Authorities allege that Tang had been spying for the United States since 2018 and acted on the directions of China’s intelligence agency, the Ministry of State Security (MSS).
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Paramilitary soldiers stand guard near a portrait of the late Chairman Mao Zedong in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China. (Reuters/Kim Kyung-hoon)
Tang fled to Taiwan in 2002 after being imprisoned for protesting against the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) one-party system.
He defected to Taiwan and was later granted asylum in the United States, where he lived in New York City.
On August 1, the People’s Liberation Army honor guard held a flag-raising ceremony at Bayi Square in Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province to celebrate the 97th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China’s Army. (Ma Yue/VCG via Getty Images)
Federal investigators said that between 2018 and approximately June 2023, Tang acted as an agent of the People’s Republic of China, acting under the direction of the Ministry of State Security (MSS).
Authorities said Tang had passed on information to China about U.S.-based Chinese pro-democracy groups.
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He also made “at least” three trips to meet face-to-face with MSS operatives and helped them access encrypted messaging applications used by Chinese dissidents and pro-democracy activists.
Federal authorities say they recovered instructions Tang received from the Ministry of State Security during their investigation into his espionage activities, including photographs, videos and documents.
Yuanjun Tang, 67, a naturalized U.S. citizen and resident of Queens, New York, is indicted on charges of conspiring to act as an unregistered agent of the People’s Republic of China in the United States and making material false statements to the FBI. (iStock)
Federal authorities said Tan also made materially false statements to the FBI, including falsely claiming that he had lost access to an email account that he used to exchange draft emails with MSS officials.
Tan was charged with conspiring to act as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the Attorney General (which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison), acting as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the Attorney General (which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison), and making a false statement (which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison).
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If convicted, a federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI is continuing its investigation.
