On Monday, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested two Chinese nationals in New York City, alleging that they were operating an "undeclared police station" in Manhattan. The two individuals, who are expected to appear in federal court, are associated with an illegal police operation in Chinatown that has been shut down since a search warrant was executed at the location last fall.
According to John Marzulli, a spokesman for the US Attorney in the Eastern District of New York, the defendants are accused of working to silence and harass dissidents within the United States, including Chinese nationals critical of the Chinese government. The Justice Department has announced charges against 34 officers of the national police of the People's Republic of China with harassing Chinese nationals in the US who are critical of the Chinese government.
The 34 officers are believed to live in China and remain at large, according to the Justice Department. The officers were part of an effort by the Chinese government called the "912 Special Project Working Group" to influence global perceptions of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The agents allegedly used social media to post favorably about the PRC and to attack their "perceived adversaries," including the United States and Chinese pro-democracy activists around the world.
The agents were allegedly directed by the Chinese Ministry of Public Security (MPS) to create and maintain accounts that looked like they were run by American citizens. Topics of their propaganda machine included US foreign policy, human rights issues in Hong Kong, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Covid-19, and racial justice protests following the murder of George Floyd, according to prosecutors.
The agents also allegedly posted videos and articles targeting Chinese pro-democracy advocates in the US, some of which included explicit death threats. In addition, the agents allegedly used threats to intimidate people into skipping pro-democracy protests within the United States.
These arrests and charges come amid a growing concern about China's influence operations and the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) efforts to suppress dissent both at home and abroad. The CCP has a history of using its security forces to target dissidents, activists, and journalists both within China and overseas.
The US government has been increasingly vocal in its criticism of China's human rights abuses, and has taken steps to counter China's influence operations. In December 2020, the US passed the "China Initiative," which aims to counter China's efforts to steal US technology and intellectual property. The initiative includes increased law enforcement efforts and a focus on protecting American research and innovation from Chinese theft and espionage.
These recent arrests and charges are a clear indication that the US government is taking China's influence operations seriously, and is willing to take action to counter them. However, it remains to be seen what impact these arrests will have on China's efforts to silence dissent both at home and abroad.
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