Brooklyn Jury Convicts Lu Jianwang of Acting as Unregistered China Agent

A federal jury in Brooklyn, New York, on Wednesday found Lu Jianwang, 64, guilty of acting as an unregistered agent of the Chinese government. Prosecutors said he helped establish what they described as a “secret police station” in Manhattan’s Chinatown in 2022 and assisted efforts to locate a pro-democracy activist living in California. Lu faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.

Lu, a naturalized U.S. citizen, had pleaded not guilty to three felony charges: conspiracy to act as an unregistered foreign agent, acting as an unregistered agent of China, and obstruction of justice. The verdict followed a week-long trial in federal court.

Prosecutors said Lu failed to register with the U.S. attorney general as a foreign agent when he helped open the facility. They alleged he had ties to Chinese law enforcement and met with officials in China who tasked him with opening the station during a trip in 2022.

Defense lawyers said Lu agreed to help Chinese nationals renew documents when COVID-19 travel restrictions made it difficult to travel, and argued he was not acting at the direction of the Chinese government. Prosecutors maintained the conduct amounted to unregistered foreign agency and obstruction of justice.

Justice Department focus on transnational repression

Officials have described the case as part of a broader Justice Department push to counter what it calls “transnational repression” by U.S. adversaries, including China and Iran, to intimidate political opponents living in the United States.

The case followed a 2022 investigation by Safeguard Defenders, an advocacy group, which reported on overseas “service stations” it said were linked to Chinese police and used to pressure fugitives to return to China. The group said some stations operated in New York.

Beijing rejects accusations; co-defendant pleaded guilty

China’s government has called the charges in the case “fabricated” and part of an effort to smear the country’s image. Beijing has said centers outside China are run by local volunteers, not Chinese police officers, and are intended to help Chinese citizens renew documents and provide other services.

A co-defendant arrested alongside Lu, Chen Jinping, pleaded guilty in 2024 to conspiring to act as an unregistered Chinese agent, prosecutors said.

Sentencing has not been announced. The case is likely to be watched as U.S. authorities continue pursuing investigations into alleged foreign influence and coercion activities on American soil.