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Former Aide to New York Governor Accused of Acting as Chinese Agent

Linda Sun, who served as a staff member for former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and also as the former Deputy Chief of Staff for current Governor Kathy Hochul, has been accused of acting as an agent for China and the Chinese Communist Party. The prosecutor handling the case stated that, starting in 2016, Linda Sun took actions at the request of Chinese consulate officials to limit contact between Taiwanese government officials and the New York Governor’s office. Linda Sun and her husband Chris Hu received substantial financial rewards for their work on behalf of China, including multi-million-dollar deals for Hu’s business activities in China, travel benefits, promotion of a family friend’s business, and the securing of employment for Sun’s cousin in China. The indictment states that the couple “laundered millions of dollars for foreign entities and used the illicit funds to purchase luxury cars and multi-million-dollar properties in New York.”

In January 2019, Linda Sun wrote to a Chinese official expressing how much she valued her relationship with the Chinese consulate, noting that during her time working for Governor Cuomo she had done a great deal to foster the relationship between the state’s government and the consulate. She also mentioned that she had successfully blocked all contact between the New York state government and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, rejecting all requests from that office.

Linda Sun’s assistance to Beijing included her arranging for Governor Cuomo to attend a “SelectUSA” reception in Washington, D.C., hosted by the Chinese Embassy, rather than an event hosted by Taiwan around June 21, 2016. She also prevented the Governor from meeting with then Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen during her visit to New York in July 2019. Sun joined local Chinese “community leaders” in Manhattan to oppose Tsai’s visit.

After the case against Sun was made public, New York Governor Hochul requested that the State Department expel the Chinese Consul General in New York, Huang Ping. Huang has since left the New York mission, though the U.S. State Department announced that Huang’s departure was not due to an expulsion but rather due to Huang’s reaching the end of a regular rotation term as consul general.

Sources:
1. VOA, September 4, 2024
https://www.voachinese.com/a/former-new-york-governor-aide-linda-sun-prevented-cuomo-from-meeting-tsai-ing-wen-20240903/7770612.html
2. Politico, September 4, 2024
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/09/04/hochul-chinese-consul-general-00177319

Briefings | | |   @CS Geo-Strategic Trend US-China Relations

Leaked Documents Reveal CCP Plan to “Eliminate” Falun Gong, Escalating Persecution

The Falun Dafa Information Center has reportedly obtained information from insiders in China’s Ministry of Public Security’s (MPS) regarding the organization’s new plan to “dismantle Falun Gong worldwide,” including in the United States. Falun Gong (also called Falun Dafa) “is an ancient spiritual practice in the Buddhist tradition.” The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) started persecuting Falun Gong in 1999 and has continued its persecution of the practice until today. The CCP has also targeted the Shen Yun performing arts group, which showcases traditional Chinese culture and religious beliefs and aims to raise awareness about the CCP’s persecution of Falun Gong.

The Falun Dafa Information Center’s report stated that “it is abundantly clear both from sources inside China as well as from observable attacks (on Falun Gong and Shen Yun) over the past few months that these escalations against Falun Gong have already begun and are trending into uncharted territory. The internal documents explicitly state that the regime’s aim is to ‘eliminate Falun Gong worldwide.’”

The MPS’ new plan has five tactics:

  1. “Coordinated propaganda attacks against Shen Yun, Falun Gong”
  2. “Inciting conflict between Falun Gong and the U.S. Government”
    The MPS indicates it will deploy a two-pronged strategy:

    1. Incite Falun Gong practitioners to distrust and even protest the U.S. government.
    2. Provoke the U.S. government to investigate Shen Yun Performing Arts and other organizations founded by Falun Gong practitioners.
  3. “Cutting communication channels that expose persecution inside China,” blocking Falun Gong practitioners in China from contacting their overseas supporters
  4. “Manipulating search engines and disseminating content in multiple formats” as a means to “carry out the offensive” against Falun Gong.
  5. “Provoking distrust and internal divisions within the Falun Gong community”

Source: Falun Dafa Information Center website
https://faluninfo.net/weaponizing-social-media/

Briefings | | |   @CS Government/Politics Social Stability US-China Relations

Retired CCP Cadre and Professor Urges CCP to Step Down, Proposes “Federal Republic of China” Unifying Mainland China with Taiwan

Veteran Chinese Communist Party (CCP) cadre and retired professor from Renmin University, Leng Jiepu, recently published an open letter addressed to the two Vice Chairmen of the CCP Central Military Commission, proposing the establishment of a Federal Republic of China and urged the CCP to step down.

The open letter is available on X platform. Leng talked with a reporter from the Epoch Times on August 11 to confirm that he was the author of the open letter.

Leng’s letter was addressed to Zhang Youxia and He Weidong, the two Vice Chairmen of the Central Military Commission, and was also communicated to the general public. He mentioned that he had learned that Xi Jinping was very ill and unable to work and that all party, government, and military affairs had fallen on Zhang and He. He expressed his hopes the two would support his proposal. Leng mentioned that the hanging of a large banner “The CCP Must Step Down” on Sitong bridge in Beijing in 2022 and the march with banners calling for the “Downfall of the CCP” in several cities have indicated that “the situation (for the CCP) is not optimistic.” He therefore suggested that the CCP take “the route of compromise” by establishing a Federal Republic of China and unifying the country with Taiwan, calling his proposal “the best possible solution.” He also proposed specific operational steps, including the formation of a “Grand Committee for the Unification of the Chinese Nation.”

Source:
1. Epoch Times, August 12, 2024
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/24/8/12/n14309516.htm
2. X Platform, @china_epoch
https://x.com/china_epoch/status/1822441580361372096?s=42

Briefings | | |   @CS Government/Politics

Xiamen University: “Urgently Prepare for Taiwan Takeover”

On August 5th, the Xiamen University Cross-Strait Urban Planning Research Institute published an article titled “Urgently Prepare for Taiwan Takeover.” The paper stated that, with the increasing likelihood of Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential election, Beijing’s “unification” with Taiwan could come sooner than expected. According to the article, the “turmoil” observed in Hong Kong over the past few years shows that “lack of full preparation could have serious consequences for a smooth power transition.” Since Hong Kong’s policy of “50 years of no change” does not apply to Taiwan, the depth and breadth of the mainland’s takeover of Taiwan will far exceed that of Hong Kong in 1997, according to the article. “It is urgent to prepare comprehensive plans for taking over Taiwan after unification.”

The article was taken down shortly after publication. However, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a Washington-based think tank, has preserved the article and translated it into English on its website.

The CSIS published the following “key takeaways” regarding the Xiamen paper:

  • Researchers at the Xiamen University Cross-Strait Institute of Urban Planning argue Beijing should set up a shadow government in preparation for intended “reunification” with Taiwan.
  • The unnamed authors suggest that “reunification” will be a complex process, and the “One Country, Two Systems” model Beijing has adopted toward Hong Kong would be inappropriate for governing Taiwan. Instead, they argue that “full integration into the mainland” should be Beijing’s goal.
  • They suggest Beijing set up a “Central Taiwan Work Committee” to research and prepare “post-takeover” policies on a variety of issues – including currency conversion, education systems, military integration, and customs, among others – based on a solid understanding of existing policies and institutions in Taiwan.
  • They also recommend Beijing set up a “Taiwan Governance Experimental Zone,” which would be a “highly realistic physical environment” for simulating and testing out governance practices prior to “reunification.” This would involve recruiting retired military officers, civil servants, and teachers from Taiwan to train cadres from the mainland in how to govern Taiwan (thereby conferring what they call “regime building experience”).
  • Importantly, the authors suggest that these activities will speed up the process of “reunification” by shaping political dynamics in Taiwan and encouraging what they call “anti-Taiwan independence” forces on the island to better organize and vocalize their positions.

Sources:
1. Radio France International, August 17, 2024
https://www.rfi.fr/cn/台湾/20240817-厦门大学呼吁尽快准备-接管台湾-并称没有类似香港50年不变问题-此文遭下架
2. CSIS website, August 5, 2024

Start Taiwan Takeover Preparations as Soon as Possible

Briefings | | |   @CS Geo-Strategic Trend

Another Chinese Young Man Confronts CCP, Calls for Xi Jinping’s Resignation

Recently a Chinese young man has attracted attention by calling for the ouster of Xi Jinping using a wifi router to spread his message.

On August 14, Su Yutong, a Chinese freelance writer living in Germany, released a video on the web and stated: “A young person from China who has been promoting the movement to dismantle the Great Firewall (CCP’s internet censorship/blockade system) was imprisoned in a psychiatric hospital on political charges. This morning, I received this video showing that he has once again confronted the CCP.” In the video, the young man shouted: “Oppose the CCP’s internet censorship and control of speech,” “No privileges, we want equality,” and “We need freedom of speech and internet freedom.” The video was recorded outdoors. The young man hoped that Chinese people would be able to “see the true face of the CCP.” The young man also mentioned that, in the past, he had used routers and other equipment to broadcast messages such as “Xi Jinping, step down.” The authorities issued a warrant for him as a “political criminal,” ransacked his home, and confiscated his equipment including routers, laser sound systems, transmitter modules, and mobile phones.

On August 16, Su Yutong posted again on the X platform again, identifying the young man as Yan Zhongjian, born in February 1999. Su received a message from a friend entrusted by Yan: the friend and Yan had agreed that, if Yan could not be contacted for a certain period of time, the friend would release Yan’s personal information and call on netizens to show concern and support for him.

The young man followed in the footsteps of several other dissidents in recent history. For example, in October 2022 Peng Lifa posted banners and played recordings denouncing the Chinese Communist Party and asking for the ouster of Xi Jinping. On July 30 of this year, Fang Yirong posted similar messages on an overpass in Hunan Province (see this ChinaScope briefing).

Source: Epoch Times, August 17, 2024
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/24/8/17/n14313098.htm

Briefings | | |   @CS Government/Politics Social Stability

Talkie: Another Chinese Chat App Making Waves in the U.S. Market

As TikTok faces potential banishment from the U.S., chatbot app Talkie (also developed by a Chinese company) has become a sensation in America. With more than 10 million downloads on the Google Play Store, Talkie’s audience is similar to that of TikTok, predominantly young people, including many American youths. As of this June, Talkie ranks fifth on the list of entertainment app downloads in the U.S. Globally, it boasts around 11 million active users, with over half in the U.S., and many in the Philippines, the U.K., Canada, and other countries.

Since the app’s launch about a year ago, it has rapidly gained popularity. The app features AI technology (large language models and image generation), providing users with a customized role-play chat interaction featuring virtual representations of celebrities such as Donald Trump, Taylor Swift, and Elon Musk, as well as cartoon characters or fictional characters made up by users of the app. The app can be used to simulate conversations with virtual romantic partners.

Public information shows that Talkie is a startup based in Singapore, but its true parent company is MiniMax, headquartered in Shanghai. MiniMax is recognized as one of the “Four Little AI Dragons,” which are the four largest unicorns (large, privately-held startup companies) in China’s tech sector.

Source: Epoch Times, August 5, 2024
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/24/8/5/n14305303.htm

Briefings | | |   @CS Economy/Resources US-China Relations

The First Known Survivor of CCP’s Forced Organ Harvesting Speaks Out in Washington, DC

Cheng Peiming, a 58-year-old Chinese man from Northeast China, is regarded as the first known survivor of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) program of forced live organ harvesting from prisoners of conscience. On August 9, at a forum in Washington, D.C., he publicly shared his experience in which the Chinese authorities forcibly removed his organs twenty years ago.

Cheng stated that he was repeatedly detained and tortured by the CCP for practicing Falun Gong. In 2002 he was sentenced to eight years in prison. In July 2004, in a state of good health, he was dragged from prison to a hospital where guards tried to make him sign a form of consent for surgery. When he refused to sign, the guards knocked him down and anesthetized him. When he woke up three days later, Cheng found himself handcuffed to a bed with a 35-centimeter-long incision on his chest. In 2006, prison guards again took Cheng to a hospital. He said, “They had no reason for any surgery, so I knew I would be killed.” He managed to escape while the guards were sleeping. Cheng spent the next nine years hiding in China and managed to flee to Thailand in 2015. Four years ago, with assistance from the U.S. government, he came to America through the United Nations refugee program.

When media reports on China’s forced organ harvesting practices first emerged in 2006, Cheng realized that this was what had happened to him. It was only after arriving in the U.S. that transplant specialists confirmed through scans that part of his liver and left lung had been removed. Cheng said that he still cannot feel certain parts of his chest and struggles daily with severe pain throughout his body.

In 2019 an independent tribunal in London (“The China Tribunal”) ruled that the CCP has committed crimes against humanity through its continuous harvesting of organs from minority groups, including Falun Gong practitioners. Two years later, a United Nations human rights expert reported that, in addition to Falun Gong practitioners, other minorities, including Uyghurs, Tibetans, Muslims, and Christians detained in China, had also become targets of forced organ harvesting. In June of this year the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Falun Gong Protection Act, aimed at compelling the CCP to end its persecution of Falun Gong and the forced harvesting of organs from detained practitioners.

Source: Radio Free Asia, August 9, 2024
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/kw8-forced-organ-harvesting-08092024135324.html

Briefings | | |   @CS Government/Politics Social Stability

Major Scandal Unfolds: Illegal Corpse Trade and Bone Harvesting Operation Exposed in China

On August 8, Beijing attorney Yi Shenghua made an online disclosure of case materials related to the theft, insult, and intentional destruction of human corpses, triggering a media frenzy in China. The alleged company involved in such activity is Shanxi Aorui Biological Materials Co., Ltd. (Shanxi Aorui), established in 1999 as a subsidiary of the state-owned China Radiation Protection Research Institute. The company’s business scope consists of research, development, production, and sale of “allogeneic bone implantation materials.” The company is accused of illegally purchasing corpses and limbs and then engaging in brutal dissection, removal of flesh, cleaning, irradiation, etc., of these bodies and bones, to produce “allogeneic bone implantation materials” during the time period from January 2015 through July 2023. The company had a total revenue of 380 million yuan (US$ 53 million) from the period 2015 through 2023.

Allogeneic bones (from humans) are a good source of material for bone transplantation and, per established international medical standards, should come from explicit donors. Shanxi Aorui’s sources generally did not sign up to be donors, and the family members of the deceased were not aware of the Shanxi Aorui activities.

There are currently 75 criminal suspects identified; all have confessed to criminal activities consistent with the allegations against Shanxi Aorui. The business conducted operations in Chongqing City and provinces of Sichuan, Guangxi, Shandong, Guizhou, and Yunnan.

Frighteningly, the case is linked to China’s live organ transplant industry. Qingdao University Affiliated Hospital is one of the hospitals designated by the Ministry of Health for performance of liver transplants. Between 2015 and 2021, the hospital’s Associate Chief Physician Li Zhiqiang at the Liver Disease Center dismembered organ donor corpses and stored them in a freezer before selling them to Shanxi Aorui, with each corpse fetching a price between 10,000 and 22,000 yuan. Shanxi Aorui picked up five deliveries from Li. The hospital’s website listed Li as the Deputy Director of the Organ Transplant Center and Director of the Intensive Care Unit. After the incident gained attention, the hospital removed Li’s resume from its website.

Source: Epoch Times, August 8, 2024
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/24/8/8/n14307307.htm

Briefings | | |   @CS Government/Politics Social Stability