Former Chinese Activist in the U.S. Accused of Spying for Beijing

The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Wednesday that charges have been filed against a former Chinese activist from the “Democracy Movement,” which was violently suppressed by Beijing in 1989. The activist, who now resides in New York, has been accused of being an agent for the Chinese government in the United States, according to AFP.

Tang Yuanjun, 67, fled China 20 years ago and swam to a Taiwan-controlled island before seeking political asylum in the United States. He was formally charged on Wednesday with acting as an agent of the People’s Republic of China in the U.S. between 2018 and 2023, according to a Department of Justice statement.

The statement alleges that Tang carried out “tasks under the direction of the Ministry of State Security of the People’s Republic of China and its main civilian intelligence agency.” He is suspected of providing Chinese officials with information about “individuals and groups that Beijing considers to be a threat to its interests,” particularly prominent democracy activists and Chinese dissidents living in the United States.

Tang is also accused of lying to the FBI by claiming that he no longer had access to a mailbox used to communicate with his handler in the Chinese Ministry of Security. He was arrested on Wednesday and is expected to appear before a judge.

Tang, originally from Jilin Province in northeastern China, was sentenced by a Chinese court to 20 years in prison for his participation in the 1989 democracy movement, which was violently crushed in Tiananmen Square in Beijing. He was released after serving eight years in prison.

After his release, Tang continued his pro-democracy activities in China, facing repeated arrests, interrogations, and harassment by authorities before fleeing to Taiwan. A rights group based in Taipei, which assisted him with his asylum application in 2002, provided this information.