Chinese American scholar Shujun Wang was convicted of using his reputation as a pro-democracy activist to gather information on dissidents and share it with the Chinese government. A federal jury in New York found him guilty of acting as a secret agent for China’s Ministry of State Security. Wang, who helped found a pro-democracy group in the city, pleaded not guilty, stating that his communications were innocuous.
Prosecutors alleged that Wang lived a double life for over a decade, portraying himself as a critic of the Chinese government in order to gain the trust of dissidents and then report their activities to Beijing. He was convicted of charges related to acting as a foreign agent without notifying the attorney general, potentially facing up to 25 years in prison. Wang’s sentencing is scheduled for January 9.
Four Chinese officials who were charged alongside Wang remain at large. The U.S. government has been pursuing individuals involved in “transnational repression,” targeting those who harass and silence critics living abroad. The Chinese embassy in Washington denies engaging in such practices, emphasizing respect for international law.
Wang, who became a U.S. citizen in 1994, founded the Hu Yaobang and Zhao Ziyang Memorial Foundation in Queens. Prosecutors describe him as a covert informant for Beijing, providing information on various dissidents and pro-democracy activists. Despite Wang’s claims that he did not provide significant information, evidence presented during the trial suggested otherwise.
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