Covert Chinese agent in Chino Hills gets 4 years

Yaoning "Mike" Sun of Chino Hills was sentenced to four years in state prison Feb. 9th after pleading guilty to secretly working as a foreign agent for China. Sun helped elect a California politician at the direction of the Chinese government. The politician is not identified in the court documents, but the Los Angeles Times identified her as Arcadia Mayor Eileen Wang. He was accused of surveilling then-Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-When when she visited California in 2023, of taking photographs of pro-Tawainese protestors, and of creating pro-Chinese propaganda through an online news site, all at the direction of the Chinese government. Sun has appealed the sentence. “When Americans vote for elected officials, they expect them to represent the interests of their constituents – not those of a foreign adversary like the Chinese government,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI's Counterintelligence and Espionage Division in a press release. “By exploiting his position as a campaign advisor, Yaoning Sun attempted to undermine our political processes and democratic institutions for the benefit of the Chinese Communist Party. Today’s sentencing underscores the unwavering commitment of the FBI and our partners to defending the homeland and holding accountable anyone who tries to subvert the will of American voters at the behest of our adversaries.” Sun operated with John Chen, a second convicted foreign agent who personally met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and who told pro-Taiwanese protestors that they would be arrested upon their return to China, according to the prosecutor's sentencing memorandum. Sun claimed ignorance of the law in his own sentencing memorandum. "Mr. Sun’s conduct was not independently illegal and could have been performed consistent with the law had he only registered with the Attorney General—an obligation he did not know existed," it reads. The memorandum says that Sun joined the Chinese military at the age of 22, and that he has worked in the United States for the People's Republic of China (PRC) since 1996. "(Sun) and his co-conspirator Chen engaged in sustained efforts to assist the PRC in its campaign of transnational repression and foreign malign influence in the United States, extending the PRC’s reach in its persecution of the Falun Gong and those advocating for Taiwanese independence. He also served a pivotal role in the PRC’s efforts to 'influence' U.S. politicians in their favor at all levels of government," the memorandum says. The indictment against Sun alleged two counts: one of failing to register as a foreign agent, which he plead guilty to. The other count, of conspiracy to commit offense against the United States, was dropped. The conspiracy count listed 63 acts, including plans for Sun to meet "the leader" during a visit to China, funding for a pro-Chinese float at a Fourth of July parade in Washington, D.C., and coordination to help the unidentified politician.