China Accused Of Harassing Ex-Dissident Running For U.S. Congress
U.S. prosecutors accused China Wednesday of spying on pro-democracy activists and seeking to harass and intimidate a former Tiananmen Square dissident who is running for United States Congress.
Attorney Breon Peace announced charges against five men involving “campaigns to silence, harass, discredit and spy on U.S. residents” for exercising their freedom of speech.
Beijing brushed off the allegations on Thursday.
Among those accused of conspiring to act as Chinese government spies is Lin Qiming CHI MING, an agent with China’s Ministry of State Security.
Qiming is accused of conspiracy to harass a congressional candidate whose profile fits that of Yan Xiong SHI ON, a former student leader of the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests.
Xiong SHI ON fled from China to the United States in 1992 and served as a U.S. Army chaplain, and is now seeking a seat in the U.S. House.