CCP’s Spying Operations in Western Countries Exposed

A balloon is held at a press conference and rally in front of the America ChangLe Association highlighting Beijing's transnational repression, in New York City on Feb. 25, 2023. A now-closed overseas Chinese police station is located inside the association building.(Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

Commentary

Multiple instances of Beijing’s overseas spying operations have been recently exposed, triggering criticisms from the international community over the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) intrusions into the sovereignties of Western countries, including the United States, Canada, France, and Australia.

In a recent episode, commentators on NTD’s Chinese language “Pinnacle View” program shared their views on the topic.

Spying on Dissidents

In a previous interview with The Epoch Times, a former Chinese agent shared about Beijing’s tactics in targeting dissidents abroad.

Using the alias “Eric,” the spy said he worked for the CCP’s Ministry of Public Security’s Political Security Bureau.

While studying at a university in the United States in 2007, Eric joined a pro-democracy group, which put him on the CCP’s radar. Upon his return to China, he was arrested and coerced into working as an overseas secret police agent for the regime.

Eric began working as an agent in 2008 and defected to Australia in 2023. There, he disclosed his activities in Australia, Canada, and Cambodia, among other places, to the Australian authorities.

His responsibilities included surveilling dissidents and individuals deemed a threat to the CCP. He cited several examples, including Li Guixin, a Falun Gong practitioner in the United States who experienced at least five arbitrary arrests before fleeing to Thailand in 2014.

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a meditation practice that incorporates moral teachings based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance. It is practiced worldwide, but not in China, where an estimated 70 million to 100 million practiced Falun Gong by 1999, the year the CCP began a persecution campaign.

Suspicious Death

Another example shared by Eric involved Hua Yong, a vocal critic of the CCP who documented Beijing’s eviction of low-income residents. Mr. Hua fled to Thailand before moving to Canada.

In November 2022, over a year after arriving in Canada, Mr. Hua was found dead, having drowned in what Canadian authorities concluded was a kayaking accident.

Eric, who was assigned to keep track of Mr. Hua and gain his trust, questioned the circumstances surrounding his death, suggesting the dissident may have been killed.

However, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, which investigated the case, upholds the force’s finding.

“Investigations are led by the evidence and I can assure you that a thorough investigation has been completed. There was nothing to suggest this death was suspicious, despite the concerns expressed by those who were not involved in the investigation,” RCMP Staff Sergeant Kris Clark wrote in an email to The Epoch Times on May 17.

Li Guixin meditates in Lumphini Park in Bangkok, Thailand, on May 12, 2014. (Courtesy of Li Guixin)

Li Jun, an independent TV producer, was able to relate to Eric’s experience.

“When I was in the United States, I was also contacted by some who said that they had set up an armed resistance group against the CCP,” he said on the “Pinnacle View” program on May 18.

At that time, Mr. Li was producing a program that documented how traditional Chinese culture was eradicated under the CCP’s rule.

“After releasing about two episodes, I started receiving persistent messages on Twitter urging me to join a military resistance group,” he recalled.

“He said that it was useless to engage in cultural activities and that if you wanted to do something, you should engage in military activities. I told him that I am a peaceful advocate and not interested in fighting.”

In light of Eric’s revelations, Mr. Li wondered about the identity of the person who had contacted him.

Rescue of Former CCP Agent in France

Wang Jingyu, a Chinese dissident residing in Europe, shared his experience of how he helped thwart a recent attempt by Chinese authorities to forcefully repatriate a former CCP agent in France.

“The person in question, Ling Huazhan, had been working for the CCP in Germany,” he said on “Pinnacle View.”

“Ling said he received tens of thousands of yuan for helping the CCP do some bad things. Then, for unknown reasons, he turned himself in to the German intelligence department last October, providing evidence of CCP contacts and overseas agents,” Mr. Wang recalled.

Mr. Wang said what angered the communist regime was Mr. Ling’s public disclosure of his surrender, prompting the attempt to repatriate him. Using covert methods, the CCP personnel transferred Mr. Ling from Germany to France.

“I knew that he was being held in France in a so-called overseas police station of the CCP. I have known about this for a few months, but I never believed it,” Mr. Wang recounted.

“I didn’t believe him because every time Ling contacted me, he changed his account … He used many Twitter accounts to message me, saying that he was imprisoned somewhere and asked me to rescue him.”

On March 20, Mr. Ling informed Mr. Wang that he was about to be repatriated and asked for help.

Initially skeptical, Mr. Wang decided to investigate, thinking that the worst outcome would be wasting money on a train ticket.

On March 21, Mr. Wang arrived in Paris, accompanied by a journalist friend from a local media.

“The only information we had was that Ling would be at the airport at around 7 a.m. on March 22,” he said.

In the morning, the two drove to the site where Mr. Ling was being held and waited until over a dozen people escorted him out.

“There were three vehicles. He was in the middle one. The two at the front and the back appeared to be escort vehicles.”

Mr. Wang and his friend called in more journalists for support.

“We told the others to wait at the airport in advance, and they saw the group there. Through the video sent by my reporter friend, I saw that about a dozen people were surrounding Ling, with the so-called security guards on the outside wearing red uniform vests.”

Upon reaching customs, Mr. Wang and his team reported the situation to the French police, who then intervened. Mr. Ling, realizing he was about to be boarded on a plane to China, made a run for it. After a brief disappearance, Mr. Ling contacted Mr. Wang from a restroom, where he was cornered by several people.

“After we confirmed the location, we went there and saw that there were actually more than 10 people surrounding the toilet in a semi-circle,” recalled Mr. Wang.

“Then I started recording with my mobile phone. They even snatched my mobile phone and assaulted us. We later confirmed that at least three of the officers escorting Ling were from the Chinese Embassy, and one is a very high-ranking embassy official.”

Mr. Ling was eventually rescued with the help of the French police.

CCP’s Vast Spy Operations

Guo Jun, the editor-in-chief of the Hong Kong edition of The Epoch Times, expressed concern about the CCP’s overseas operations, recalling the persecution of Falun Gong.

“The CCP deploys significant resources against dissident groups, involving not only the Ministry of State Security and Public Security but also military intelligence, the United Front Work Department, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, even the Ministry of Commerce and other economic and cultural departments.

“All these entities act as espionage agencies in the name of the so-called political security of the Communist Party, investing substantial funds in their operations.”

Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.