An American citizen who was suspected of working with the Chinese Communist Party to suppress political opponents was apprehended by government agents.
The 63-year-old Litang Liang, who is a resident of Brighton in Boston, Massachusetts, has been convicted of attempting to speak on behalf of a foreign country on Tuesday in court.
The US District Court claimed that Liang behaved purposefully and encouraged others to engage in activities in the US while posing as an ambassador of the People’s Republic of China.
Based on the requirements of the law, he did this without first notifying the US Attorney General.
Liang has been charged with starting to work as a People’s Republic of China agent in or around 2018.
Liang reportedly observed and informed the CCP of individuals and groups, according to the US District Court hearing the case.
Feds arrest alleged Chinese spy in Boston
Litang Liang allegedly coordinated with Chinese “Communist Party officials to share information on political dissidents”
https://t.co/GCUryal8UG #FoxBusiness— Karren H Willard (@KarrenWillard) May 11, 2023
He is also suspected of organizing a counterprotest to American pro-democracy protesters and gathering information on potential recruits.
In its accusation, the court claimed that Liang interacted with PRC government authorities in a variety of ways, taking them to be PRC government authorities.
These included calls and messages made via the social networking app WeChat. WeChat servers outside the US are used to store all communications.
US Attorney Rachael S. Rollins for the District of Massachusetts released a statement.
“The Department of Justice will protect these individual rights and protect our country against those who seek to unlawfully act on behalf of foreign governments while within our borders.”
Rollins alleges that Liang was acting on behalf of the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and was involved in providing information on residents, organizations, and dissidents in the Boston area. She claims that this could potentially put people at risk in both Massachusetts and other parts of the world.
Rollins also emphasizes the importance of protecting the constitutionally protected rights of American citizens and warns that anyone who engages in such behavior within the United States will be identified and held accountable.
Fox News Digital reported that Liang entered a not-guilty plea to the charges of conspiring to act as an agent of a foreign state and doing so. A cash bail of $25,000 was used to release him.
Liang is forbidden from leaving Massachusetts and will be monitored electronically. He is also barred from communicating with any agents of the Chinese state or the New England Alliance for the Peaceful Unification of China.
