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AND Chino Hills, California man was arrested for allegedly working as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) while also serving as a campaign manager for a local politician who was elected to office in 2022.
USA Ministry of Justice (DOJ) said Yaoning “Mike” Sun, 64, was arrested Thursday and charged with acting as an illegal agent of China, as well as conspiring with another man, Chen Jun, who was sentenced to prison in November for bribery and acting as an illegal agent of the Chinese government.
According to a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on Tuesday, Sun was a campaign manager for an unnamed Southern California politician identified only as “Individual 1” in the complaint. Individual 1 was eventually elected in 2022 to a city council seat in a city not named in the complaint.
Sun and Chen communicated during the campaign to help get the individual elected.
Chen Jun, with whom Yaoning “Mike” Sun allegedly conspired, was sentenced to prison in November for bribery and acting as an illegal agent of the Chinese government. (Ministry of Justice)
The DOJ said Chen allegedly spoke with Chinese government officials about how China could “influence” local American politicians, particularly on the subject of Taiwan.
Shortly after Individual 1 was elected to office in November 2022, Chen allegedly told Sun to prepare a report on the election. The report was sent to Chinese government officials, who the complaint says responded positively and thanked them.
Almost a month after the individual was chosen, Chen also organized a lunch with Sun and others at a Rowland Heights restaurant. Chen described the gathering to the PRC official as a “core members’ lunch,” the DOJ said. Individual 1 was reportedly not at the lunch, although Chen told Chinese government officials that the individual was part of a “core team dedicated to us.”
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Chen told the PRC official that the lunch was “successful,” adding that the participants agreed to establish an “Association for the Promotion of US-China Friendship.”
In early 2023, Chen allegedly instructed Sun to compile another report for Officials of the People’s Republic of China about the two “cultivating and helping” in the success of the individual 1.
While the second report was being completed in February 2023, Sun sent Chen a proposal to fight “anti-China forces” by marching in the US Independence Day parade in Washington, DC, the complaint said.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks after joining a group photo during the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)
While the two men continued their efforts in the US, Sun reportedly asked the PRC to provide them with an $80,000 budget.
The lawsuit alleges that Chen and Sun discussed a planned trip to China to meet with “leadership.” It is also alleged that Chen directed Sun to arrange a meeting with the Chinese Consul General in Los Angeles. In August 2023, Sun and Individual 1 finally traveled to China, according to the complaint.
Sun could get up to 10 years in prison for acting as an illegal agent foreign governments if convicted.
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He also faces a maximum sentence of five years behind bars for conspiring to commit a crime against the U.S.
