Guilty Plea in Manhattan's Secret Chinese Police Station Case

Chen Jinping pleads guilty to conspiracy for running a covert Chinese police outpost in Manhattan's Chinatown, raising concerns over Beijing's tactics against dissent abroad. The case highlights tensions between U.S. sovereignty and foreign influences.

An American citizen has confessed to assisting in the operation of what has been identified as the first known secret police station in the United States, linked to the Chinese government. Prosecutors revealed that Chen Jinping and his co-defendant, Lu Jianwang, established and managed this outpost in Chinatown, Manhattan, beginning in early 2022, under the auspices of China's Ministry of Public Security (MPS). This station was one among at least 100 similar establishments claimed to exist worldwide, covering 53 countries, with rights organizations alleging that these outposts are used to intimidate and surveil Chinese nationals living abroad.

Despite these allegations, the Chinese government maintains that these locations are merely "service stations" providing various administrative assistance to citizens overseas. While the Manhattan station offered basic services such as driver’s license renewals for Chinese nationals, federal authorities assert it also played a role in identifying pro-democracy activists residing in the United States. Matthew Olsen, an assistant attorney general at the U.S. Department of Justice, characterized the operation of this undeclared police station as a serious violation of American sovereignty and a risk to local communities, declaring that such operations would not be accepted.

The police station was shut down in the fall of 2022 following a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) inquiry. During the probe, Chen and Lu reportedly deleted messages exchanged with an MPS official upon learning of the investigation. Chen, 60, entered a guilty plea on Wednesday to a conspiracy charge related to acting as an agent for the Chinese government, potentially facing a five-year prison sentence upon sentencing next year. His admission is considered a "stark reminder" of China's attempts to harass and intimidate those opposed to its Communist regime, according to Robert Wells, an executive assistant director of the FBI's National Security Branch. Meanwhile, Lu, 59, has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial on charges including harassment of a supposed Chinese fugitive and aiding in the location of a pro-democracy figure in California for the Communist Party.

This incident marks a significant moment in U.S.-China relations, being the first occasion where criminal charges have been linked to these overseas police outposts. Olsen reaffirmed that U.S. authorities would persist in pursuing individuals involved in supporting the PRC's oppressive strategies within the country. Furthermore, in a related context, former New York governor's office aide Linda Sun was charged in September for allegedly using her influence to advance Chinese governmental interests, reportedly receiving benefits in exchange. Additionally, last year, 34 officers from the MPS faced charges for employing fake social media accounts to harass Chinese dissidents in the United States and disseminate Chinese propaganda.