Transnational Repression Updates: New Arrest, Guilty Pleas

Over the past two weeks, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) disclosed a new case of China-linked transnational repression that targeted Falun Gong practitioners in Florida and announced the guilty pleas of two Chinese agents who attempted to strip the non-profit status from a Falun Gong-related organization in New York. The pair had been arrested and indicted in May 2023.

On July 17, the DOJ charged a Chinese man in Florida with conspiracy and acting as an unregistered agent. Among the crimes he reportedly committed was providing personal information about local Falun Gong practitioners and others to an official in China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS). A week later, the two individuals involved in the 2023 bribery scheme pled guilty before a New York court on July 24 and 25.

“The Chinese Communist Party has been carrying out a systematic and global campaign of transnational repression against overseas Falun Gong practitioners for over two decades. The recent indictment and these guilty pleas mark continued progress in bringing to justice those who carry out such actions, which globalize the regime’s persecution of Falun Gong and undermine democracy more broadly,” says Levi Browde, Executive Director of the Falun Dafa Information Center. “We applaud the efforts taken by the DOJ to pursue the prosecution of these individuals.”

These cases are the latest incidents in a broader strategy by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to threaten, coerce, and silence the Falun Gong community outside China. Court documents further reveal that the CCP considers personal information about Falun Gong practitioners and other dissidents as “topics of interest,” echoing recent findings about the CCP’s prioritization of its persecution of Falun Gong in China and abroad.

Notably, the two case updates were publicized within a week of the 25th anniversary of the persecution against Falun Gong, July 20.

Chinese Spy Charged in Florida

On July 17, 2024, federal officials charged an alleged Chinese spy in Florida, Li Ping, with Conspiracy and Acting as an Agent of a Foreign Government. Court filings claim that Li regularly provided information to a MSS officer, including biographical and personal details on at least one Falun Gong practitioner and two individuals investigating the persecution of Falun Gong.

The agent operated in several cities in Florida since 2012. In addition to spying on Falun Gong practitioners, he gathered information on Chinese democracy advocates and other dissidents. Court documents reveal that Chinese officials also requested Li provide information about the “surveillance capabilities” of the U.S. government, details about Verizon branch offices (his employer), and hacking activities targeting U.S. companies.

Failed Attempt to ‘Topple’ Falun Gong

On July 24 and 25, 2024, two Chinese agents in New York pled guilty to furthering a transnational repression campaign against Falun Gong practitioners through a bribery scheme directed by the CCP.

Last May, a federal court charged the agents, Chen and Feng, for attempting to bribe a purported International Revenue Service (IRS) official with tens of thousands of dollars to strip the tax exempt status of “an entity run and maintained by Falun Gong practitioners.” During the trial, it was confirmed that the unnamed non-profit was in fact Shen Yun Performing Arts, a classical Chinese dance company.

Leaked CCP documents and speeches reveal that the regime views Shen Yun as a key target in the campaign to silence and “topple” Falun Gong outside of China.

According to the prosecutor’s brief against the bail for Lin Feng, Feng also admitted that both he and Chen “traveled to New York to surveil Falun Gong residents in Orange County, New York and to collect information which would be the basis for a potential environmental lawsuit meant to inhibit the growth of the Falun Gong community in Orange County, New York.”

The individuals face sentencing in October, with a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison. Feng, due to his cooperation in the court proceedings, was recommended a 14-18 month sentencing by the judge.

“The actions of these individuals serve as a stark reminder of the persistent threats faced by Falun Gong practitioners and other dissidents, even when they are living in the United States,” says Browde. “The DOJ’s recent prosecutions are crucial steps in protecting our communities, holding those responsible for abuses accountable, and deterring prospective agents from aiding the CCP.”