Beijing has made it clear that it opposes “hyping up the so-called Chinese spies narrative” after two Chinese nationals were arrested in the US for espionage.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, speaking to the media post the arrests on Wednesday, said that she was not aware of the specifics but opposes hyping up this narrative.
The foreign ministry spokesperson further said that China will take necessary measures to keep its nationals abroad safe.
“I am not aware of the specifics, but China always opposes hyping up the so-called ‘Chinese spies’ narrative, and will take necessary measures to safeguard legitimate rights and interests of Chinese nationals abroad,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters when asked about the arrests.
Chinese nationals arrested in the US
Two Chinese nationals were arrested by the FBI last Friday, and prosecutors have charged them with acting as agents of China’s security service.
The arrested Chinese nationals have been identified as Yuance Chen, 38, a legal permanent resident living in Happy Valley, Oregon, and Liren “Ryan” Lai, 39, who arrived in Houston from China in April on a tourist visa.
US prosecutors have accused both persons of gathering information about US Navy bases and trying to identify Navy members who are willing to spy for China, the Justice Department said on Tuesday.
In a statement, the department said that the duo worked on behalf of China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS). The suspects have been accused of facilitating a “dead-drop payment” of at least $10,000 in a locker at a recreational facility in Northern California in 2022 in exchange for national security information of the US. This information has already been passed to China, it added.
The Justice Department said the accused made their initial appearances in federal court in Houston and Portland, Oregon, on Monday.
After the 2022 incident, the pair “continued to work on behalf of the MSS, including to help identify potential assets for MSS recruitment within the ranks of the US Navy”, it said.
The department, however, did not reveal any details on who provided the national security information or the military members targeted for recruitment.
