Federal prosecutors have charged Yuanjun Tang, a former Tiananmen Square protester, with secretly working for China’s Ministry of State Security, accusing him of spying on U.S.-based pro-democracy groups.
Once a prominent pro-democracy dissident, Tang is now alleged to have cooperated with Chinese intelligence in exchange for the opportunity to reunite with his family in China. According to court documents, Tang began working with a Chinese intelligence officer in 2018, passing on information about pro-democracy events and even details related to a Chinese dissident’s Congressional campaign.
The charges, filed in New York, accuse Tang of acting as an agent of a foreign government and making false statements to investigators. Prosecutors allege that Tang, who fled China after the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, later agreed to spy on dissidents in the U.S. to gain favor with the Chinese government.
Investigators revealed that Tang first sought to visit his family in 2018 and was subsequently introduced to an intelligence officer from China. The two began collaborating, with the officer allegedly pressuring Tang to gather intelligence on pro-democracy activities, dissidents, and the U.S. political asylum process.
Court documents indicate that Tang provided detailed information about events commemorating the Tiananmen Square massacre in 2021 and later supplied intelligence on a Congressional candidate, who was also a Chinese dissident and human rights activist. Tang is also accused of monitoring a group chat used by approximately 140 Chinese dissidents in the U.S., including the Congressional candidate.
The FBI’s investigation uncovered extensive evidence, including text and audio messages exchanged between Tang and the Chinese intelligence officer, photos and videos of pro-democracy events, and screenshots of conversations between dissidents. A key piece of evidence was a message from the intelligence officer urging Tang to “work harder” and prioritize sending new information.
Prosecutors also revealed that Tang traveled to mainland China or Macau at least three times between 2019 and 2023, allegedly to meet with the Chinese intelligence officer. During one of these meetings, a “bug” was installed on Tang’s cellphone, enabling the officer to receive real-time transmissions of photos, screenshots, and voice memos from the device.
Tang was arrested on Wednesday, and the case adds to a growing list of transnational repression cases pursued by the U.S. Justice Department. Communities of dissidents and pro-democracy activists living in the U.S. have long been targeted by China’s intelligence agencies, which often use the activists’ families still residing in China as leverage, as seen in Tang’s case.
This arrest follows a series of similar cases, including the recent conviction of a naturalized U.S. citizen of Chinese descent for secretly working with Chinese intelligence to surveil dissidents and the arrest of two individuals last year for operating an illegal Chinese police station in New York City aimed at influencing and intimidating critics of the Chinese government.
A lawyer for Tang has not yet been identified.
Key Points:
- Charges: Yuanjun Tang, a former Tiananmen Square protester, is charged with spying for China’s Ministry of State Security.
- Allegations: Tang is accused of spying on U.S.-based pro-democracy groups in exchange for the chance to reunite with his family in China.
- Collaboration: Tang allegedly began cooperating with a Chinese intelligence officer in 2018, providing information about pro-democracy events and a Chinese dissident’s Congressional campaign.
- Evidence: The FBI found text and audio messages between Tang and the intelligence officer, along with photos, videos, and screenshots of dissident activities.
- Travel: Tang reportedly traveled to China or Macau at least three times between 2019 and 2023 to meet with the intelligence officer, who installed a “bug” on his cellphone to receive real-time data.
- Arrest: Tang was arrested on Wednesday and is charged with acting as an agent of a foreign government and making false statements to investigators.
- Transnational Repression: The case highlights ongoing efforts by China’s intelligence agencies to target dissidents in the U.S., leveraging the activists’ families as a form of coercion.
