A whole floor of a building in New York City was once functioning as an "illegal police station" for the government of the People’s Republic of China, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

New York City resident Chen Jinping, 60, on Wednesday pleaded guilty in connection with the secret police station in Lower Manhattan's Chinatown, according to a release from the DOJ.

"Today’s guilty plea holds the defendant accountable for his brazen efforts to operate an undeclared overseas police station on behalf of the PRC’s national police force — a clear affront to American sovereignty and danger to our community that will not be tolerated,” the release quotes Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division.

On Wednesday, Olsen said the federal Department of Justice "will continue to pursue anyone who attempts to aid the PRC’s efforts to extend their repressive reach into the United States."

The police station closed in 2022 after an FBI search, the release says. Jinping his co-defendant Lu Jianwang – both U.S. citizens ‒ were initially arrested on April 17, 2023. (Jianwang has not pleaded guilty to the same charge or for obstruction of justice, according to the DOJ.)
Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch said the case is a part of China's larger efforts to "threaten, harass, and intimidate those who speak against their Communist Party."

Lin Jian, a spokesperson at the Chinese foreign ministry, said there are "no so-called secret police stations" at a recent news conference.
"(China) has always strictly abided by international law and respected the judicial sovereignty of all countries," Jian said.

The Chinese government has said there are centers outside China run by local volunteers, not Chinese police officers, that aim to help Chinese citizens renew documents and offer other services. Beijing has accused Washington of fabricating the charges to smear China's image, Reuters reports.

Jinping faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, according to the Department of Justice.

“These blatant violations will not be tolerated on U.S. soil," Wells said. "The FBI remains committed to preserving the rights and freedoms of all people in our country and will defend against transnational repression at every front."
https://www.usatoday.com/story...oj-says/77085990007/

There's a lot more than this going on and China doesn't even have to send over goons under cover. They do have volunteers here, keeping an eye on their citizens' activities in the US. Any event remotely tied t Falun Gong will attract spies who will observe and photograph attendees, so they can be questioned upon return to the PRC. China does not considered their expats to be foreigners. They are called "overseas Chinese" and they are considered assets, regardless of citizenship.

Didn’t we hear about this in 2023 ? I am certain I heard this same story well over a year ago and of course with support of state media the story died a quiet death.

Jan 20 can not come soon enough.

quote:

Originally posted by ElToro:
Didn’t we hear about this in 2023 ? I am certain I heard this same story well over a year ago and of course with support of state media the story died a quiet death.

Jan 20 can not come soon enough.

We did, this a recent bust in the heart of NYC Chinatown.

quote:

Originally posted by downtownv:

quote:

Originally posted by ElToro:
Didn’t we hear about this in 2023 ? I am certain I heard this same story well over a year ago

We did, this a recent bust in the heart of NYC Chinatown.

Even earlier than that. Here's the October 2022 forum thread about it: https://sigforum.com/eve/forum...935/m/5690072594/p/1

As the article notes, the station was raided by the FBI in 2022, followed by some arrests being made in 2023.

It's just back in the news cycle right now because of this recent guilty plea a couple days ago by one of the Chinese operatives arrested back in April 2023, not because of any new bust of another secret police station.