New York Man Pleads Guilty in Alleged Secret Chinese Police Station Case
Chen Jinping, a 60-year-old Manhattan resident, admitted to working at an alleged secret Chinese police station on Wednesday, pleading guilty to conspiring to act as an agent of the Chinese government without proper registration with US authorities.
Facts
- Chen Jinping, a 60-year-old Manhattan resident, admitted to working at an alleged secret Chinese police station on Wednesday, pleading guilty to conspiring to act as an agent of the Chinese government without proper registration with US authorities.[1][2]
- Chen faces up to five years in prison when sentenced on May 30, while co-defendant Lu Jianwang has pleaded not guilty and awaits trial.[3][4][5]
- The station was established in early 2022 and occupied an entire floor above a ramen shop in Manhattan's Chinatown neighborhood. It allegedly operated under China's Ministry of Public Security.[6][7]
- While the facility provided basic services like Chinese driver's license renewals, federal authorities assert it was used to identify pro-democracy activists living in the US.[1][6]
- According to prosecutors, Chen and Lu destroyed alleged text messages exchanged with Chinese Ministry of Public Security officials when they learned of the FBI investigation in 2022.[6][7]
- There are at least 100 such stations reported worldwide across 53 countries, though China maintains they are service centers for overseas nationals.[7]
Sources: [1]Associated Press, [2]The New York Times, [3]ABC News, [4]New York Post, [5]Newsweek, [6]The Guardian and [7]BBC News.
Narratives
- Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by ABC News and Associated Press. The secret police station represents a clear violation of American sovereignty and serves as a tool for the Chinese government to suppress dissent abroad. The facility's true purpose was to identify and intimidate pro-democracy activists while masquerading as a service center, demonstrating Beijing's aggressive transnational repression tactics.
- Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Global Times. These overseas facilities are legitimate service centers designed to assist Chinese citizens with administrative tasks such as driver's license renewals. Contrary to the West's manipulative rhetoric, the stations provide essential support to Chinese nationals living abroad and do not engage in law enforcement activities.
