U.S. Nabs Chinese-American Acting As Beijing's Spy vs Protesters

A Chinese-American man was arrested last week for allegedly serving as an agent of the Chinese government without notifying the US government, the Department of Justice announced, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported.

Photo Insert: According to the indictment, Liang, a US citizen, communicated with seven Chinese officials, including several from the Chinese consulate in New York, from 2018 to 2022.

Litang Liang, 63, of Brighton, Massachusetts, was accused of providing Chinese officials with information about Boston-area individuals and organizations, leading a counter-protest against anti-Beijing activists, and suggesting potential recruits to China's Ministry of Public Security.

Liang was indicted on two counts related to acting as an agent of a foreign government.

The charge of acting as an unregistered foreign agent carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.

"We will not tolerate the PRC's efforts to interfere with public discourse and threaten civic participation in the United States," said Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen of the Justice Department's national security division.

According to the indictment, Liang, a US citizen, communicated with seven Chinese officials, including several from the Chinese consulate in New York, from 2018 to 2022.

In 2018, he shared with Chinese officials photographs of an individual he said had "sabotaged" Chinese flags in Boston's Chinatown and said the person was a member of a local Chinese group with pro-Taiwan leanings.

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