New York [US], December 20 : A resident of Manhattan has admitted guilt in US federal court for his involvement in operating a secret Chinese police station in New York, as reported by Radio Free Asia.
The resident has been identified as Chen Jinping, a US citizen, who helped with administrative duties at the secretive station in Manhattan's Chinatown in 2022, according to Radio Free Asia report.
US prosecutors stated that the station was established by officials from China's Fuzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau, a division of its Ministry of Public Security, and was used to threaten and silence opponents of the Chinese government in New York.
Chen's plea in Brooklyn on Wednesday marks the first instance of someone involved in these overseas police outposts being held accountable in court. Over 100 Chinese police stations are believed to have been set up in cities globally.
According to the RFA report, Chen pleaded guilty to conspiring to serve as an agent of a foreign government, a crime that could lead to a prison sentence of up to five years.
The existence of the police station in Chinatown, along with others worldwide, was initially revealed in a 2022 report by the Spain-based human rights organization, Safeguard Defenders.
Laura Harth, the campaign director of Safeguard Defenders stated, "I hope the outcome of cases like this will encourage victims of the PRC's transnational repression to come forward in greater numbers."
She further highlighted, "I also hope that the 53 countries where 'overseas police stations' have been uncovered take note and take action. This case serves as a warning to anyone considering assisting the CCP in its covert operations: there is no advantage in doing so."
Matthew G Olsen, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department emphasised, "Today's guilty plea holds the defendant accountable for his brazen efforts to operate an undeclared overseas police station on behalf of the PRC's national police force -- a clear affront to American sovereignty and danger to our community that will not be tolerated."