A Chinese dissident residing in New York City has been charged by the Department of Justice (DOJ) for allegedly acting as a spy for the Chinese regime’s intelligence agency. Tang Yuanjun, a 67-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen, was arrested in Queens on August 21 on charges of “acting and conspiring to act in the United States as an unregistered agent of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and making materially false statements to the FBI.”
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York stated that Tang used his position as a leader among pro-democracy activists in the U.S. to collect information for the Chinese government and report on individuals critical of the PRC and events supporting democracy.
FBI special agent Joshua Ray Willis revealed that Tang had been working as a Chinese agent since 2018, completing tasks directed by China’s top intelligence agency, Ministry of State Security (MSS). Willis explained that Tang was initially searching for a way to visit family in mainland China when he was recruited by MSS.
Tang had previously participated in pro-democracy protests in mainland China during 1989, which made him a target for CCP authorities who severely punished prominent activists at that time.
After defecting to Taiwan in 2002 and being granted political asylum in the United States, Tang continued his anti-CCP activities. In 2018, an acquaintance introduced him to an MSS officer through a password-protected email account. From then on, Tang communicated with this officer through various means such as draft emails, phone calls, video calls, audio messages, and text messages.
Willis revealed that Tang collected information on Chinese dissidents, pro-democracy events in the U.S., and immigration lawyers based there. He also set up group chats involving around 140 people including confirmed dissidents and MSS officers.
The FBI discovered evidence indicating payments made by MSS to both Tang and his family members residing in mainland China. They also found instructions from MSS along with photographs, videos, and documents collected or created by Tang for transmission to the Chinese intelligence agency.
Christie Curtis from FBI New York emphasized how harmful such behavior is not just illegal but also detrimental to U.S. sovereignty. This case highlights CCP’s ongoing efforts to infiltrate American society while controlling overseas diaspora communities and silencing dissidents abroad.
The FBI has repeatedly warned about grave threats posed by Chinese espionage efforts against America’s national security interests. In fact,”every twelve hours or so,” they open new cases related to Chinese espionage according to FBI Director Christopher Wray’s speech delivered last year.
Tang’s involvement with Tiananmen Square protests led him into trouble back then when he received a prison sentence lasting twenty years due his participation during those demonstrations supporting students involved hunger strikes against Beijing regime policies.