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Chinese espionage in California

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Ministry of State Security — 18th Bureau
Chinese: 加州局
Seal of the MSS

The Chinese consulate in San Francisco, out of which the Bureau is believed to operate
Bureau overview
Formed2010; 15 years ago (2010)
JurisdictionCalifornia, United States
HeadquartersBeijing, China
Parent MinistryMinistry of State Security

The government of the People's Republic of China and entities affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) have undertaken influence operations, political intelligence gathering, cyber espionage, and industrial espionage in California.[1] The state faces "the most mature" Ministry of State Security (MSS) networks of any in the United States.[2]: 72  Activities in California are reported to be coordinated by the MSS 18th Bureau, which was established around 2010 to manage operations across the United States. Espionage activities are especially common in the San Francisco Bay Area.[1][3] The Chinese government's effort is long-term; they try to recruit politicians early in their career so that if they advance to the national level, that politician will be primed to advocate for Chinese government interests.[4]

Organization

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The Chinese consulate in Los Angeles.

According to sinologist Alex Joske, "California was a treasured staging ground for political influence operations and economic espionage. Its extensive united front networks, clusters of advanced technology and undeniable electoral heft make it prime territory for MSS officers. Today, the state holds the honour of having an MSS unit dedicated to influence and intelligence work in it."[2]: 56  Silicon Valley is home to multiple united front organizations linked to the PRC government's system of technology transfer.[5][6]: 122–130 

Activities

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San Francisco, with its nearby Silicon Valley, political importance in the Democratic Party, and large contingent of Chinese immigrants, is the centerpiece of operations in California for the MSS. According to US intelligence officials contacted by Politico, "if California is elevated among Chinese interests, San Francisco is like nirvana to the MSS, because of the potential to target community leaders and local politicians who may later become mayors, governors or congressmen."[1][7] Several suspected MSS officers have been identified operating out of the San Francisco consulate.[2]: 169 

Cyber espionage

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Further information: Cyberwarfare and China

In June 2021, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, among other organizations, was reported to have been targeted in cyber espionage hacks by a Chinese state-backed advanced persistent threat.[8] In July 2021, a federal grand jury in San Diego indicted four Chinese nationals working with the Hainan State Security Department under the hacking group APT40 who were alleged to conduct a cyber espionage campaign from 2011 to 2018.[9][10] In March 2024, the United States and United Kingdom jointly indicted and sanctioned members of the Hubei State Security Department for a wide range of cyber operations against critical infrastructure in the two countries, including attacks on a California managed service provider.[11][12]

In July 2025, the operator of most of California's electric grid, the California Independent System Operator, was reported to have been breached by Chinese state-sponsored hackers due to a zero-day vulnerability in SharePoint which also affected numerous other organizations.[13]

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See also: Nuclear espionage § China, and Cox Report

In March 2008, an engineer for L3 Technologies in California, Chi Mak, was sentenced to 24 years for conspiring to send defense technology to China.[14][15]

In June 2008, Xiaodong Sheldon Meng, an engineer based in Cupertino, was convicted under the Economic Espionage Act of 1996 and sentenced to two years in federal prison for attempting to sell fighter-pilot training software to the People's Liberation Army Navy.[16][17]

In February 2010, a former Boeing and Rockwell International engineer in Southern California, Dongfan "Greg" Chung was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for espionage and other charges related passing technology secrets, including from the Space Shuttle program, to China.[18][19]

In September 2020, a former University of Southern California professor, Hao Zhang, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for conspiring to steal and sell smartphone signal technology to the Chinese military.[20][21][22]

In August 2023, a former U.S. Navy sailor assigned to the USS Essex in San Diego, Jinchao Wei, was indicted under the Espionage Act of 1917 for passing videos, photos, and manuals of naval weapon systems to a Chinese intelligence officer.[23]

In January 2024, a former U.S. Navy sailor, Wenheng Zhao, was sentenced in federal court in Southern California to two years for transmitting details about U.S. military operations to a Chinese intelligence officer in exchange for bribes.[24][25]

In December 2024, federal authorities arrested and charged a Chinese national, Yinpiao Zhou, for clandestinely flying a drone over Vandenberg Space Force Base to take photographs.[26][27]

In July 2025, the United States Department of Justice charged two Chinese nationals, Yuance Chen and Liren “Ryan” Lai, with attempting to recruit U.S. military personnel and gather naval intelligence for China's Ministry of State Security (MSS). According to the FBI, Lai, who had ties to an MSS network, began cultivating Chen—then a legal U.S. resident—in 2021 due to his military contacts. The two met with MSS agents abroad and coordinated espionage efforts, including the use of a dead drop in 2022, where they left $10,000 in cash in a California locker to pay individuals for intelligence. Chen later toured the USS Abraham Lincoln in San Diego and collected personal details of Navy personnel, which were allegedly passed to Lai.[28][29] The Justice Department stated that the operation was part of a broader Chinese effort to expand its “blue-water” naval capabilities and undermine U.S. national security. Both men were charged under the Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA), which requires individuals acting on behalf of foreign governments to register with U.S. authorities.[28]

In July 2025, a former engineer at a South California company, Chenguang Gong, pleaded guilty to stealing military tracking blueprints for the Chinese government.[30][31]

Political intelligence gathering

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Targeting of Senator Dianne Feinstein

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According to four former U.S. intelligence officials, in the 2000s, a staffer and Chinese community outreach liaison in Senator Dianne Feinstein’s San Francisco field office was providing political intelligence to the MSS.[32] The informant, who was not ultimately charged, was handled by officials working out of China's San Francisco Consulate.[1]

Eric Swalwell

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This paragraph is an excerpt from Eric Swalwell § Contact with suspected Chinese spy.[edit]
In December 2020, Swalwell was named in an Axios story about suspected Chinese spy Fang Fang or Christine Fang,[33][34][35] who had since at least 2012 been cultivating contacts with California politicians who the Chinese government believed had promising futures in politics.[36][37] Axios reported that Fang participated in fundraising for Swalwell's 2014 congressional election bid, met Swalwell at events, and helped place an intern inside his congressional office. Swalwell ended ties with Fang in 2015 after U.S. intelligence briefed him and top members of Congress on concerns that Chinese agents were attempting to infiltrate Congress. Axios reported that Swalwell was not accused of any impropriety and that officials did not believe that Fang obtained classified information from her contacts.[33]

Arcadia, California

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In December 2024, the United States Department of Justice indicted an alleged Chinese spy who attempted to cultivate council member Eileen Wang of Arcadia, California.[38][4][39] The alleged spy is Wang's fiancé, Yaoning "Mike" Sun, with whom she has been together with since 2018.[40]

Surveillance and repression of dissidents

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Further information: Transnational repression by China

2008 Olympic Torch Run through San Francisco

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In the lead up to the 2008 Summer Olympics, San Francisco was the only U.S. city to host the Olympic torch relay on its way to the event in Beijing. According to three former U.S. intelligence officials contacted by Politico, during the relay, Chinese officials sought to disrupt any potential protest and maintain China's public image by sending MSS and Ministry of Public Security (MPS) officers from China to the city to join suspected MSS officers embedded in the Bay Area. The officers were spotted wearing earpieces and radios, orchestrating the movements of counter-protesters, directing large groups of Chinese students to intimidate and disrupt protesters across the parade route and along the Embarcadero. The spies reportedly filmed Tibetan Buddhist monks on a march across the Golden Gate Bridge, surveilled a pro-Tibetan independence rally which feature Desmond Tutu and Richard Gere, and recorded participants at a Falun Gong rally in Union Square, filming protestors at the torch run itself. They then reportedly bussed in an estimated 6,000–8,000 J-visa Chinese students, and threatened them into disrupting Falun Gong, Tibetan, Uyghur and pro-democracy protesters. One US intelligence officer told Politico "I'm not sure they would have pulled out these stops in any other city, but San Francisco is special" to China.[1]

Falun Gong

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In May 2023, two Los Angeles residents, John Chen and Lin Feng, were charged in federal court as unregistered foreign agents of the People's Republic of China who attempted to manipulate the whistleblower program of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) against Shen Yun, which is affiliated with Falun Gong, by filing a false complaint with the IRS aimed at stripping Shen Yun of its tax-exempt status. Both were later sentenced for bribing an IRS official to influence the IRS's handling of the complaint.[41][42][43]

APEC 2023 summit in San Francisco

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This paragraph is an excerpt from APEC United States 2023 § Protests and incidents.[edit]
In November 2023, demonstrations spanning a variety of issues, particularly objecting to Xi Jinping's presence in the United States, took place near San Francisco International Airport and meeting site prior to Xi Jinping's arrival at the APEC summit.[44][45][46] Hundreds were bused in from across the U.S., with funding and coordination from the Consulate-General of China, Los Angeles, to welcome Xi.[47][48][49] Multiple clashes were reported between Chinese dissidents and pro-Chinese government groups.[50][51][52] The nonprofit group Human Rights in China stated that evidence of assaults and selective police enforcement would be submitted to the United States House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party.[50][51] An investigation by The Washington Post found that "the most extreme violence was instigated by pro-CCP activists" and involved coordination by Chinese consular officials.[49]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Dorfman, Zach (July 27, 2018). "How Silicon Valley Became a Den of Spies". Politico Magazine. Archived from the original on December 9, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c Joske, Alex (2022). Spies and Lies: How China's Greatest Covert Operations Fooled the World. Melbourne: Hardie Grant. ISBN 9781743589007. OCLC 1347026709.
  3. ^ Overend, William (November 20, 1988). "China Seen Using Close U.S. Ties for Espionage : California Activity Includes Theft of Technology and Surpasses That of Soviets, Experts Believe". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 22, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Winton, Richard; Fry, Hannah (December 22, 2024). "Inside China's alleged spy scheme to influence governments in L.A. County and far beyond". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 22, 2024. Retrieved December 22, 2024. "They look to cultivate talent early — often state and local officials — to ensure that politicians at all levels of government will be ready to take a call and advocate on behalf of Beijing's agenda," FBI Director Christopher A. Wray said during a speech at the Reagan Presidential Library in 2022.
  5. ^ Joske, Alex; Stoff, Jeffrey (August 3, 2020), Hannas, William C.; Tatlow, Didi Kirsten (eds.), "The United Front and Technology Transfer", China’s Quest for Foreign Technology (1 ed.), Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, pp. 258–274, doi:10.4324/9781003035084-20, ISBN 978-1-003-03508-4, OCLC 1153338764, S2CID 225395399
  6. ^ Hannas, William C.; Mulvenon, James; Puglisi, Anna B. (June 14, 2013). "US-Based Technology Transfer Organizations". Chinese Industrial Espionage: Technology Acquisition and Military Modernisation. Routledge. doi:10.4324/9780203630174. ISBN 978-1-135-95254-9. OCLC 1081421916.
  7. ^ Allen-Ebrahimian, Bethany; Dorfman, Zach (December 8, 2020). "Suspected Chinese spy targeted California politicians". Axios. Archived from the original on August 1, 2021.
  8. ^ Suderman, Alan (June 15, 2021). "MWD among targets in large-scale cyber-espionage hack blamed on China". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. Archived from the original on April 5, 2025. Retrieved July 28, 2025.
  9. ^ "Charges Filed In San Diego Accuse Chinese Nationals Of Global Hacking Campaign". KPBS. July 19, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
  10. ^ Mallin, Alexander; Barr, Luke (July 19, 2021). "DOJ charges 4 Chinese nationals with state-backed worldwide hacking campaign". ABC News. Archived from the original on July 22, 2025. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
  11. ^ Gatlan, Sergiu (March 25, 2024). "US sanctions APT 31 hackers behind critical infrastructure attacks". BleepingComputer. Archived from the original on March 27, 2024. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
  12. ^ Greig, Jonathan (March 25, 2024). "US sanctions alleged Chinese state hackers for attacks on critical infrastructure". therecord.media. Recorded Future. Archived from the original on May 28, 2025. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
  13. ^ Nakashima, Ellen; Menn, Joseph; Johnson, Carolyn Y. (July 23, 2025). "U.S. nuclear and health agencies hit in Microsoft SharePoint breach". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
  14. ^ Warrick, Joby; Johnson, Carrie (April 3, 2008). "Chinese Spy 'Slept' In U.S. for 2 Decades". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on May 22, 2024. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  15. ^ Bhattacharjee, Yudhijit (May 12, 2014). "How the F.B.I. Cracked a Chinese Spy Ring". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  16. ^ "Chinese engineer charged with stealing military trade secrets". The New York Times. December 15, 2006. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
  17. ^ "Chinese-born engineer sentenced for espionage". NBC News. June 18, 2008. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
  18. ^ "Chinese-born engineer gets 15 years for spying". NBC News. February 8, 2010. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  19. ^ Bhattacharjee, Yudhijit (April 28, 2014). "A New Kind of Spy". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Archived from the original on March 3, 2025. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  20. ^ Rosenblatt, Joel (September 1, 2020). "Chinese Professor Gets 18 Months in Prison for Theft, Espionage". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on December 3, 2022. Retrieved August 2, 2025.
  21. ^ Xie, John (June 27, 2020). "Chinese Professor Convicted of Stealing Trade Secrets for China". Voice of America. Archived from the original on May 13, 2025. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  22. ^ "Man convicted of stealing high tech trade secrets for China". Associated Press. June 27, 2020. Archived from the original on October 8, 2024. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  23. ^ Quezada, Jeanette (March 14, 2024). "San Diego Navy sailor accused of espionage faces new charges". KNSD. Archived from the original on April 16, 2024. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
  24. ^ Ives, Mike (January 9, 2024). "U.S. Navy Sailor Who Helped China Is Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 30, 2024. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
  25. ^ "US navy petty officer sentenced to two years in prison over spying for China". The Guardian. Agence France-Presse. January 9, 2024. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
  26. ^ McPhee, Michele (December 13, 2024). "Spy Games in California". Los Angeles Magazine. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
  27. ^ "Northern California Man Arrested for Allegedly Flying Drone Over and Photographing Vandenberg Space Force Base". United States Department of Justice. December 9, 2024. Archived from the original on December 24, 2024. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
  28. ^ a b "Two Chinese nationals charged for trying to recruit spies in US military". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on July 4, 2025. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  29. ^ Martinez, Christian (July 2, 2025). "US charges two Chinese nationals with attempting to recruit US service members". Reuters. Archived from the original on July 3, 2025. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  30. ^ Rodriguez, Matthew (July 21, 2025). "Former engineer pleads guilty to stealing missile tracking blueprints from Southern California company". CBS News. Archived from the original on July 23, 2025. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
  31. ^ McCartney, Micah (July 23, 2025). "China spy stole secret US missile tech: DOJ". Newsweek. Retrieved July 30, 2025.
  32. ^ McPhee, Michele (June 21, 2023). "The Chinese (and Russian, and North Korean) Spies Among Us". Los Angeles. Retrieved December 22, 2024.
  33. ^ a b Allen-Ebrahimian, Bethany; Dorfman, Zach (December 8, 2020). "Exclusive: Suspected Chinese spy targeted California politicians". Axios. Archived from the original on August 1, 2021. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
  34. ^ "Here's What We Know About Rep. Swalwell's Connection To A Suspected Chinese Spy". CNN. December 9, 2020. Archived from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
  35. ^ "Democratic congressman says he did not share sensitive information with suspected Chinese spy". Forbes. December 19, 2020. Archived from the original on July 28, 2021. Retrieved August 26, 2021.
  36. ^ "FBI Briefs Reps. Pelosi, McCarthy On Rep. Swalwell's Ties To Suspected Chinese Spy". NPR. December 18, 2020.
  37. ^ "Top GOP lawmakers call for Swalwell to be removed from Intelligence Committee". The Hill. December 15, 2020. Archived from the original on June 27, 2023. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
  38. ^ Tang, Didi; Taxin, Amy; Ding, Jaime (December 19, 2024). "Chinese national charged with acting as Beijing's agent in local California election". Associated Press. Retrieved December 22, 2024.
  39. ^ Forsythe, Michael; Root, Jay; Pallaro, Bianca (December 20, 2024). "Chinese National Charged in California After Aiding Local Candidate, Prosecutors Say". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 19, 2025. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
  40. ^ Fry, Hannah; Rebecca, Ellis (December 21, 2024). "Who is the politician at the center of the latest Chinese influence scandal?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 22, 2024.
  41. ^ Kiszla, Cameron (November 22, 2024). "Chinese agent who targeted Shen Yun group gets 20 months in prison". KTLA. Archived from the original on May 26, 2025. Retrieved June 13, 2025.
  42. ^ "Illegal Agents of the PRC Government Charged for PRC-Directed Bribery Scheme". United States Department of Justice. May 26, 2023. Archived from the original on May 29, 2025. Retrieved June 14, 2025.
  43. ^ "California Man Sentenced for Acting as an Illegal Agent of the People's Republic of China Government and Bribery". United States Department of Justice. November 19, 2024. Archived from the original on May 26, 2025. Retrieved June 14, 2025.
  44. ^ Lee, Jaclyn (November 15, 2023). "Opposing groups clash at SFO before President Xi's arrival". KGO-TV. Archived from the original on November 15, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  45. ^ "Activists Protest China's Xi Even Before He Arrives at APEC". Voice of America. November 13, 2023. Archived from the original on November 14, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  46. ^ "Protesters clash as China's leader Xi Jinping arrives at SFO for APEC". KTVU. November 14, 2023. Archived from the original on November 15, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  47. ^ "僑界赴金山挺習近平 組千人巴士團 保安荷槍實彈護航" [Overseas Chinese went to Jinshan to support Xi Jinping, forming a 1,000-person bus group, escorted by armed security guards]. World Journal (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Archived from the original on November 15, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  48. ^ "南加州華人華僑近千人 赴三藩市迎接習近平到訪" [Nearly 1,000 Chinese and overseas Chinese from Southern California went to San Francisco to welcome Xi Jinping's visit]. Sing Tao Daily (in Chinese). November 15, 2023. Archived from the original on November 19, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  49. ^ a b Mahtani, Shibani; Kelly, Meg; Brown, Cate; Cadell, Cate; Nakashima, Ellen; Dehghanpoor, Chris (September 3, 2024). "How China extended its repression into an American city". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on September 4, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  50. ^ a b "Anti-Xi Protesters Say San Francisco Police Ignored Beatings During APEC". Voice of America. November 23, 2023. Archived from the original on November 28, 2023. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  51. ^ a b McCartney, Micah (November 22, 2023). "Police accused of inaction as anti-CCP activists assaulted in San Francisco". Newsweek. Archived from the original on November 27, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  52. ^ Sjostedt, David (November 14, 2023). "San Francisco APEC Sees Dueling Protests Before Xi's Arrival". The San Francisco Standard. Archived from the original on August 1, 2024. Retrieved July 30, 2024.
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