A high-profile Chinese businessman in New York was sentenced for acting as an agent of the Chinese Communist Party, exposing Beijing’s aggressive reach into American society.
At a Glance
- Quanzhong An sentenced to 20 months for acting as a Chinese agent
- Participated in Operation Fox Hunt targeting expatriate Liu Shenxiang
- Delivered threats to Liu’s family on behalf of CCP officials
- Ordered to pay $1.3M restitution and forfeit $5M in assets
- Case exposes gaps in enforcement of foreign agent registration laws
The Verdict and Its Implications
Quanzhong An, once regarded as a respected business leader in New York’s Chinese-American community, has been sentenced to 20 months in federal prison for secretly operating as an agent of the Chinese Communist Party. According to Fox Business, An acted without notifying the U.S. government as required under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).
An’s case is among the most high-profile examples of Beijing’s transnational repression campaign in the U.S. As part of China’s so-called Operation Fox Hunt, An was directed to track and harass Liu Shenxiang, a Chinese dissident who fled to the U.S. in 2000. Prosecutors say An coordinated threats toward Liu and his family in an effort to pressure him into returning to China.
Watch coverage of the incident here.
Financial Penalties and Legal Fallout
The court imposed steep financial penalties on An, requiring him to pay $1.3 million in restitution to Liu and to forfeit more than $5 million in assets. According to City Journal, An now faces the possibility of deportation, although no final decision has been announced.
In addition to violating U.S. law, An’s actions intensified growing scrutiny of FARA enforcement. While the law requires individuals acting on behalf of foreign governments to disclose their activities, critics say compliance and oversight remain lax. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York described the charges as “violating and conspiring to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act.”
The Growing Shadow of Transnational Repression
The FBI has consistently warned about the Chinese government’s efforts to monitor and intimidate expatriates abroad. As City Journal details, An’s case is far from isolated, reflecting a broader trend of foreign governments leveraging U.S.-based operatives to target political dissidents.
Recent examples include the prosecution of Linda Sun, a former New York State official accused of blocking Taiwanese access to state policymakers under Chinese influence. These efforts form a pattern of covert foreign operations on American soil.
Despite the national security concerns, experts caution against sweeping generalizations. “We need to defend America from Chinese spies with diligence and accountability, while avoiding witch hunts,” noted journalist Helen Raleigh in City Journal.
By shedding light on these threats while respecting civil liberties, U.S. lawmakers and law enforcement can begin closing the gaps that allow foreign powers to exploit American openness.
