(Minghui.org) The U.S. Department of Justice announced the arrest of a 64-year-old suspected of acting as an unregistered agent of the Chinese government on December 19, 2024. Yaoning (Mike) Sun allegedly conspired with Jun (John) Chen to influence a politician in the U.S. on behalf of the Chinese government and carry out operations on U.S. soil in support of the CCP’s persecution of Falun Gong practitioners.
John Chen was arrested in the U.S. in May 2023 and convicted in federal court on November 19 this year for bribing a public official to revoke the tax-exempt status of a U.S. nonprofit organization run by Falun Gong practitioners. Chen was sentenced to 20 months in prison.
Influence Operation
According to the criminal complaint filed on December 17, Sun was suspected of acting as an illegal agent of the Chinese government while serving as the campaign manager for a politician elected to a city council in California in 2022. During this political campaign, Sun allegedly communicated with Chen, who then discussed with Chinese government officials on how Beijing could “‘influence’ local politicians in the United States, particularly on the issue of Taiwan.”
The complaint affidavit states that in November 2022, shortly after the local politician was elected to office, “Chen instructed Sun to prepare a report on the election that was sent to Chinese government officials, who responded positively and expressed thanks.”
About a month after the election, Chen allegedly arranged a “core member lunch” at a Rowland Heights restaurant with Sun and others. Chen later described the lunch as “successful” as the participants agreed to establish a “US-China Friendship Promotional Association.” In his message to the Chinese government official, Chen described the politician as being part of the association that is “the basic team dedicated for us.”
Chen instructed Sun in early 2023 to write a report for Chinese officials, describing the two “cultivating and assisting [the politician’s] success,” according to the affidavit. In subsequent communications, Chen instructed Sun to include a section on the politician and described him as a “New Political Star” with connections to more prominent politicians in the U.S. Chen and Sun also discussed their “past struggle fighting Taiwanese independence forces... over the years and fighting ‘FLG [Falun Gong] influences in a California city.”
Plot to Shut Down Falun Gong Exercise Sites
The complaint also states that on January 15, 2023, Chen and Sun discussed the inclusion of their strategy to combat Falun Gong, both 20 years earlier and in the present day, in their report to Chinese officials.
On April 4, 2023, Chen asked Sun, “Does [Falun Gong] have locations in [California city]? Activities? Can you create some obstacles for them? If you can eliminate one or several locations, or create some obstacles, there will be rewards.”
On April 27 of that year, Chen asked Sun to “contact the consulate to arrange a meeting, preferably to meet with the Consul General.” Chen planned to report a “major project” involving a national-level news article defaming Falun Gong. Chen told Sun that the “actual operation is strictly classified” and that Sun “will get credit for it.”
Proposal to Combat “Anti-China Forces” in Major U.S. Parades
According to the affadavit, while Chen was drafting a second report to Chinese government officials in February 2023, Sun submitted a proposal to Chen for an operation to combat “anti-China forces” by participating in the U.S. Independence Day Parade in Washington, D.C. Sun requested a budget of $80,000 USD to fund these activities.
Chen and Sun also discussed a planned trip to China to meet with “leadership.” After Chen directed Sun to meet with the Chinese consul general in Los Angeles, Sun and the politician traveled to China in August 2023.
The FBI is leading the investigation on this matter. If convicted, Sun will face a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government. The charge of conspiracy to commit an offense against the US carries a maximum of five years.
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Category: Media Reports
