US Convicts Scholar for Providing China with Dissident Intel

A Chinese American academic was found guilty of using his status as a pro-democracy advocate to gather information on dissidents and relay it to the Chinese government. Shujun Wang, who co-founded a pro-democracy group in New York, was convicted by a federal jury. Prosecutors claimed Wang lived a double life for over ten years, pretending to criticise the Chinese government while secretly informing Beijing about the activities of genuine critics.

Prosecutors' Allegations

According to prosecutors, Wang acted under the direction of China's Ministry of State Security. He built relationships with those opposing the Chinese regime and then betrayed their trust. "The indictment could have been the plot of a spy novel, but the evidence is shockingly real that the defendant was a secret agent for the Chinese government," stated Brooklyn-based US attorney Breon Peace after the verdict.

Wang's lawyers argued that he had been transparent with US authorities about his actions, which he considered harmless. They contended that his communications were not directed or controlled by Chinese officials. "The jury felt they were and that was enough to convict him, even though there was no evidence that what he did caused any harm, was of any benefit to the Chinese government or that Professor Wang is anything other than a patriotic American who has devoted his life to fighting the authoritarian regime in China," said defence attorney Zachary Margulis-Ohnuma.

Details of Wang's Activities

Wang, aged 75, faced charges including conspiring to act as a foreign agent without notifying the attorney general. These charges could result in up to 25 years in prison, although sentencing guidelines vary based on an individual's history and other factors. His sentencing is scheduled for January 9.

Prosecutors revealed that Wang sent emails styled as "diaries" detailing conversations and plans of various critics of the Chinese government. One email discussed events commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and crackdown. Other emails mentioned planned demonstrations during visits by Chinese President Xi Jinping to the US.

FBI Investigations

During FBI interviews between 2017 and 2021, Wang initially denied having contacts with China's Ministry of State Security. However, he later admitted on videotape that he had been asked by the intelligence agency to gather information on democracy advocates and sometimes complied. He claimed he only provided publicly available information.

Wang's lawyers depicted him as an open and sociable academic with nothing to hide. Defence attorney Zachary Margulis-Ohnuma questioned an undercover agent who approached Wang in 2021 under the guise of being affiliated with the Chinese security ministry. The agent confirmed that Wang was very open and talkative during their conversation at Wang's Connecticut home.

Transnational Repression

Wang is among several individuals targeted by US prosecutors in efforts to combat "transnational repression," where foreign governments deploy operatives to harass, threaten, and silence critics abroad. The Chinese embassy in Washington has denied engaging in such practices.

Four Chinese officials charged alongside Wang remain at large. Messages seeking comment on the case were sent to both the Chinese embassy and consulate in New York but received no response.

Background Information

Wang moved to New York in 1994 after teaching at a Chinese university and later became a US citizen. He helped establish the Hu Yaobang and Zhao Ziyang Memorial Foundation in Queens, named after two Chinese Communist Party leaders who supported reform calls in the 1980s. A message seeking comment on Wang's conviction was sent to the foundation.

Prosecutors alleged that beneath his advocacy for change in China, Wang acted as a covert conduit for information Beijing sought on Hong Kong democracy protestors, Taiwanese independence advocates, Uyghur and Tibetan activists, among others in the US and elsewhere.

In encrypted messages, Wang relayed details of upcoming pro-democracy events and plans to meet with a prominent Hong Kong dissident visiting the US. Instead of sending these emails directly, he saved them as drafts accessible through a shared password used by Chinese intelligence officers.

Another agent testified that when Wang learned investigators would search his phone for contacts within the Chinese government in 2019, he paused before saying, "Do anything. I don't care."