from Dissident โคto Allegedโข Spy: The Case of Tang Yuanjun
Tang Yuanjun, a Chinese-American man and former politicalโข prisoner, has pleaded guilty โto conspiring to act asโค an illegal agent of the Chinese government within the United States, according to the U.S.โข Departmentโค of Justice. The alleged espionage โactivities spanned from at โleast 2018 to June โฃ2023.
Bornโ inโค Changchun City, Jilin Province inโ 1957, Tang Yuanjun was a participant in the 1989โฃ pro-democracy movement. He organized a “Democracy Salon”โ with colleagues and participated in demonstrations supporting democratic โขideals. This led toโข his arrest by Chinese authorities โคand โฃa 20-year prison sentence on charges of “counter-revolutionary โcrime.” He was released in โฃ1997 after a sentence reduction. โFollowing his release, he reportedly assisted in preparations for the establishment of the Chinese Democraticโ Party.
In 2002, Tang sought political asylum, initially from theโ Taiwanese government, before successfully applyingโค for and receiving โคpolitical asylum in the United States, eventually becomingโฃ a U.S. citizen. He resided inโ New york City, actively โparticipating โคin events โwith otherโค dissidents and leading a non-profit organization focused on promoting chineseโฃ democracy.
However, beginning in 2018, โขthe Justice Department โalleges Tang Yuanjun began โworking as a spy for china’s Ministry of State Security (MSS). he reportedlyโค received instructions from MSS intelligence officialsโ and provided regular updates on the activities of Chinese dissidents, including thier names, photos,โ and records. He alsoโค allegedly provided contact โฃinformation for immigration โlawyers in New York City and details regarding the U.S. political asylum process.
The Justice Department claims โขtang Yuanjun traveled to Macau and โmainland China at least threeโ times to meet with MSS personnel, undergoing questioning and lie detector tests. During one meeting, he allegedly permitted MSS agents to install a mobile submission on his phone,โฃ enabling the real-time transmission of photos and other data back โto China. He also received a laptopโค forโ secureโฃ interaction with the MSS.
Furthermore,โค Tang Yuanjun is accused of assisting โthe MSS in infiltrating an encrypted chat group comprised of Chinese dissidents and democracy advocatesโฃ residing in the United States.He โallegedly provided instructions onโ encrypting and transmitting collected intelligenceโฃ to the MSS and facilitated theirโข access to the โฃgroup where members discussed democratic issuesโฃ and criticized the Chinese government.
This case highlights a complex situation involving a former advocate โfor democracy in China nowโ accused ofโข collaborating with the same government he once opposed. โขTheโค investigation andโค prosecution โคare ongoing.