Three Convicted of Harassing New Jersey Family for PRC

Facts

• Former New York City police sergeant Michael McMahon and two Chinese citizens living in the US, Zheng Congying and Zhu Yong, were convicted on Tuesday of several charges concerning Beijing's notorious Operation Fox Hunt.¹
• A Brooklyn federal jury found Michael guilty of illegally acting as an agent of a foreign government, stalking, and conspiracy to engage in interstate stalking. He could face up to 20 years in prison at his sentencing.²
• Zheng was convicted of charges of stalking and a related conspiracy charge, while Zhu was found guilty of stalking, acting as an unregistered foreign agent, and two conspiracy charges. They could face 10 and 25 years in jail, respectively.³
• The three defendants are accused of harassing New Jersey resident Xu Jin and his wife Liu Fang in the late 2010s on behalf of the PRC, where Xu was charged with corruption and embezzlement.⁴
• This was the first US trial since the US Justice Department began its crackdown on China's extrajudicial repatriation program — known as Operation Fox Hunt — that Beijing claims were launched to hunt fugitives, including corrupt officials and wealthy citizens.⁵
• Since it started in 2014, Operation Fox Hunt has led to the arrest of 42 suspects — including 14 allegedly involved in contract fraud and illegal business operations — and the recovery of illicit gains of ¥140M ($20.65M).⁶

Sources: ¹FOX News, ²New York Post, ³New York Times, ⁴Forbes, ⁵Associated Press, and ⁶Global Times.

Narratives

• Anti-China narrative, as provided by ProPublica. These convictions indicate a long-due change in the US approach in response to the unwise position of the PRC. While the details of Operation Fox Hunt are not exactly a surprise due to the authoritarian nature of the Chinese government, the program exposes Beijing's utter disregard for the sovereignty of other countries when it comes to persecuting Chinese citizens.
• Pro-China narrative, as provided by Global Times. China's Fox Hunt operation, which targets corrupt suspects who flee the country to avoid being brought to justice, relies exclusively on law enforcement cooperation with other countries to track down fugitives. Despite the US slandering the PRC's efforts, the US has become a haven for criminals by failing to fulfill its international obligations and commitments.

Predictions