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| The federal government arrested Litang Liang, above, for acting as a PRC agent. |
A Massachusetts man was arrested on May 9 for allegedly acting as an agent of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) without providing notification to the US Attorney General.
Litang Liang, 63, of Brighton, was indicted on one count of acting as an agent of a foreign government without providing notification to the US Attorney General and one count of conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government without providing notification to the US Attorney General.
“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 G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “This case demonstrates, once again, the lengths that the PRC government, including its Ministry of Public Security, will go to target people in the US. who exercise their rights to speak out against the PRC.”
Liang's arrest follows the arrests last month of two men in New York accused of allegedly intimidating, harassing and threatening Chinese Americans on behalf of the PRC. Lu Jianwang, 61, and Chen Jinping, 59, both New York City residents, were arrested April 17 face charges of conspiring to act as agents for China and obstruction of justice.
Americans were made aware of the extent of PRC espionage efforts earlier this year when a "spy balloon" from China was discovered floating across the US and Canada. Although the PRC claimed it was a weather balloon that went off course, It was shot down by US jets.
"To be clear, the adversary is not the Chinese people or people of Chinese descent or heritage," cites the FBI. "The threat comes from the programs and policies pursued by an authoritarian government".
“The Department of Justice will protect these individual rights and protect our country against those who seek to unlawfully act on behalf of foreign governments while within our borders,” said US Attorney Rachael S. Rollins for the District of Massachusetts.
“The Department of Justice will protect these individual rights and protect our country against those who seek to unlawfully act on behalf of foreign governments while within our borders,” said US Attorney Rachael S. Rollins for the District of Massachusetts.
“We allege that Mr. Liang engaged in a series of acts on behalf of the PRC government including providing information on Boston-area residents, organizations and dissidents to PRC government officials – potentially placing people at risk here in Massachusetts and abroad. Attempts to repress constitutionally protected rights here in the United States will never be tolerated. Anyone who infringes upon those rights on American soil will be identified and held to account,” Rollins continued.
The US requires agents of foreign countries to register with federal authorities government. It has been found that those agents often act against the interests of the United States and its citizens and legal residents.
The US requires agents of foreign countries to register with federal authorities government. It has been found that those agents often act against the interests of the United States and its citizens and legal residents.
According to the charging documents, from in or around 2018 through at least 2022, Liang acted within the United States as an agent of the PRC government by allegedly providing PRC government officials with information on Boston-area individuals and organizations; organizing a counter-protest against pro-democracy activists; providing photographs of and information about the demonstrators to PRC government officials; and providing the names of potential recruits to the PRC’s Ministry of Public Security. At no point did Liang notify the US Attorney General that he was acting as a PRC government agent.
Specifically, beginning in or around 2018, Liang allegedly provided information about Chinese individuals and organizations in the Boston area to PRC government officials – including PRC officials formerly in the United States, the Ministry of Public Security, and the United Front Work Department, an entity which reports directly to the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and works to further the CCP’s goals.
It is alleged that Liang provided PRC government officials with information regarding members and leaders of Boston-area, Chinese family associations and community organizations with pro-Taiwan leanings.
Specifically, beginning in or around 2018, Liang allegedly provided information about Chinese individuals and organizations in the Boston area to PRC government officials – including PRC officials formerly in the United States, the Ministry of Public Security, and the United Front Work Department, an entity which reports directly to the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and works to further the CCP’s goals.
It is alleged that Liang provided PRC government officials with information regarding members and leaders of Boston-area, Chinese family associations and community organizations with pro-Taiwan leanings.
Additionally, it is alleged that Liang sent information regarding anti-PRC activists to PRC officials including: identification of an individual he accused of having “sabotaged” PRC flags in Boston’s Chinatown in October 2018; video of an activist attending the “Boston Stands with Hong Kong” march in August 2019; and photographs of anti-PRC demonstrators in front of the Boston Public Library in September 2019.
The charge of acting as an agent of a foreign government without providing notification to the US Attorney General provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government without providing notification to the US. Attorney General provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
The charge of acting as an agent of a foreign government without providing notification to the US Attorney General provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government without providing notification to the US. Attorney General provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
“The FBI is not going to stand by and allow undeclared agents of the People’s Republic of China to operate in our country unchecked," said Assistant Director Suzanne Turner of the FBI Counterintelligence Division. "We will continue to steadfastly enforce the law of the land, uncovering these efforts and holding accountable all those who work with foreign governments to violate our laws.”
EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter or at his blog Views From the Edge.
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