An American citizen has admitted to operating what authorities describe as the first known secret police station in the United States on behalf of the Chinese government.
Chen Jinping, 60, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to conspiring to act as an agent for China. He and co-defendant Lu Jianwang allegedly ran the station in Manhattan’s Chinatown in early 2022 under the direction of China’s Ministry of Public Security (MPS). Chen now faces up to five years in prison when sentenced next year.
The Manhattan outpost is part of what rights groups allege is a global network of at least 100 such stations in 53 countries. These outposts are reportedly used by China to monitor and intimidate dissidents and Chinese nationals abroad. While Beijing denies these allegations, claiming the stations provide administrative services such as driver’s license renewals, U.S. prosecutors assert the operations go far beyond such functions.
The secret station occupied an entire floor above a ramen shop in Chinatown. While it did offer basic administrative services, federal authorities say it also aided Beijing in identifying pro-democracy activists in the United States.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen called the station’s operation “a clear affront to American sovereignty and a danger to our community that will not be tolerated.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) launched an investigation in 2022, which led to the station’s closure that autumn. Upon learning of the probe, Chen and Lu allegedly deleted text messages exchanged with an MPS official to conceal their activities.
Chen, an American citizen, was arrested in April 2023. His guilty plea underscores what FBI National Security Branch Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells described as “insidious efforts by the [Chinese] government to threaten, harass, and intimidate those who speak against their Communist Party.”
Lu Jianwang, 59, has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial. Prosecutors accuse him of aiding Beijing by pressuring a purported Chinese fugitive to return to China and helping locate a pro-democracy activist in California.
Chen’s case marks the first time the U.S. has brought criminal charges related to these alleged overseas police outposts. Mr. Olsen said authorities would “continue to pursue anyone who attempts to aid the PRC’s efforts to extend their repressive reach into the United States.”
The indictment is part of a broader U.S. crackdown on Chinese influence operations. In September, Linda Sun, a former aide in New York’s governor’s office, was charged with using her position to advance Chinese government interests in exchange for benefits such as travel. Last year, 34 MPS officers were charged with using fake social media accounts to harass Chinese dissidents in the U.S. and disseminate Chinese government propaganda.
The developments highlight growing concerns over China’s efforts to monitor and suppress dissent far beyond its borders.
