A United States citizen has been convicted for helping operate what prosecutors described as the first known secret Chinese police station in the US.
Lu Jianwang, also known as Harry Lu, was found guilty by a federal jury in New York of acting as an illegal agent for the Chinese government and obstructing justice.
According to prosecutors, the 64-year-old opened and managed the secret station in Manhattan’s Chinatown area in 2022 on behalf of China’s Ministry of Public Security.
Authorities said the station was allegedly used to monitor, intimidate, and target Chinese dissidents and pro-democracy activists living in the United States.
The conviction followed a week-long trial in a New York federal court.
Prosecutors said Lu could face up to 30 years in prison.
His co-defendant, Chen Jinping, had earlier pleaded guilty in December 2024 to conspiracy charges related to acting as an agent of the Chinese government. He is still awaiting sentencing.
Reacting to the verdict, FBI Assistant Director James C. Barnacle Jr. said Lu used the New York operation to further the political interests of the Chinese government by targeting critics of Beijing abroad.
Human rights organisations have previously raised concerns over the existence of similar Chinese-linked outposts in several countries around the world.
Reports claim that more than 100 such stations have been identified across 53 countries, with allegations that they are used to monitor Chinese nationals overseas and silence political opposition.
However, the Chinese government has repeatedly denied the allegations, insisting the facilities are only “service stations” meant to assist citizens abroad with administrative matters such as renewing driver’s licences and offering support during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Investigators said the Chinatown station occupied an entire floor above a ramen restaurant in New York before it was shut down in late 2022 after the FBI launched an investigation.
Court documents also revealed that Lu and Chen allegedly deleted text messages exchanged with an official of China’s Ministry of Public Security after learning they were under investigation.
