US Citizen Pleads Guilty to Operating Covert Chinese ‘Police Station’ in New York City

A US national has admitted guilt for assisting in the operation of what authorities have characterized as the inaugural clandestine police outpost in the United States, acting for the Chinese government. According to prosecutors, Chen Jinping and his co-defendant Lu Jianwang established and managed this facility in Manhattan’s Chinatown district during early 2022, under the direction of China’s Ministry of Public Security (MPS). Globally, a minimum of 100 similar facilities have been documented across 53 nations, with human rights organizations alleging that China utilizes these sites to intimidate and surveil its citizens residing overseas. However, China has refuted claims that these are police stations, asserting instead that they function as “service stations” offering administrative support to its citizens abroad. Federal authorities state that while the facility, situated on an entire floor above a ramen establishment, offered fundamental services such as the renewal of Chinese citizens’ driver licenses, it additionally assisted Beijing in pinpointing pro-democracy activists residing within the US. Matthew Olsen, an assistant attorney general within the US Department of Justice, characterized the endeavor to run the undeclared foreign police station as “a clear affront to American sovereignty and danger to our community that will not be tolerated”. The facility ceased operations in the autumn of 2022, following the initiation of an inquiry by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Nevertheless, prosecutors reported that Chen and Lu deleted text messages they had exchanged with an MPS official upon becoming aware of the investigation. Both individuals, who hold American citizenship, were apprehended in April of the previous year. This Wednesday, Chen, aged 60, admitted guilt to charges of conspiring to operate as an agent for China, and could receive a sentence of up to five years in prison upon his sentencing next year. Robert Wells, an executive assistant director of the FBI’s National Security Branch, stated that Chen’s admission of guilt serves as “a stark reminder of insidious efforts taken by the [Chinese] government to threaten, harass, and intimidate those who speak against their Communist Party”. Lu, aged 59, has entered a plea of not guilty and is currently awaiting trial. Prosecutors have leveled accusations against him for harassing an alleged Chinese fugitive to compel their return to China and for aiding in the discovery of a pro-democracy activist in California, acting on behalf of the Communist Party. When Chen was arrested, officials indicated that this represented the first instance the US had filed criminal charges concerning such police facilities. Mr. Olsen affirmed that US authorities would “continue to pursue anyone who attempts to aid China’s efforts to extend their repressive reach into the United States”. During September, Linda Sun, previously an aide in the New York governor’s office, faced charges for leveraging her role to advance Chinese government interests. Reports indicated she obtained advantages, such as travel, in exchange. Additionally, last year, 34 officers from the MPS were indicted for employing fabricated social media profiles to harass Chinese dissidents within the US and disseminate official Chinese government propaganda.