This week, the Department of Justice (DOJ) revealed that five alleged Chinese spies have been charged for launching harassment campaigns against Americans who were critical of the communist Chinese government – which is currently committing genocide against Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic minorities.
“According to court documents, all the defendants allegedly perpetrated transnational repression schemes to target U.S. residents whose political views and actions are disfavored by the PRC government, such as advocating for democracy in the PRC,” the DOJ said in a statement. “In one of these schemes, the co-conspirators sought to interfere with federal elections by allegedly orchestrating a campaign to undermine the U.S. congressional candidacy of a U.S. military veteran who was a leader of the 1989 pro-democracy demonstrations in Beijing, PRC. In another of these schemes, three defendants planned to destroy the artwork of a PRC national residing in Los Angeles that was critical of the PRC government, and planted surveillance equipment in the artist’s workplace and car to spy on him from the PRC.”
“The Ministry of State Security is more than an intelligence collection agency. It executes the Chinese government’s efforts to limit free speech, attack dissidents, and preserve the power of the Communist Party,” said Assistant Director Alan E. Kohler Jr. of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “When it exports those actions overseas, it violates the fundamental sovereignty of the United States and becomes a national security threat. These indictments should serve as a stark warning to the MSS and all foreign intelligence agencies that their efforts at repression will not be tolerated within our borders.”
The news comes just weeks after the United States ordered 12 Russian diplomats to leave U.S. soil for engaging in “espionage activities.”
Olivia Dalton, spokeswoman for U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations (U.N.) Linda Thomas-Greenfield, announced the news on Twitter.
“The U.S. has informed the Russian Mission that we are beginning the process of expelling 12 intelligence operatives from the Russian Mission who have abused their privileges of residency in the U.S. by engaging in espionage activities that are adverse to our national security,” Dalton explained. “We are taking this action in accordance with the headquarters agreement. Today’s action has been in the works for several months.”
We are taking this action in accordance with the headquarters agreement. Today’s action has been in the works for several months.
— Olivia Dalton (@USUNSpoxOAD) February 28, 2022
