The Chinese government allegedly used a Chino Hills man in an effort to advance policies favorable to the People’s Republic of China in Southern California local government, according to a criminal complaint released Thursday.
Yaoning “Mike” Sun, 64, was charged with acting as an illegal agent of a foreign power and conspiring with another man — John Chen — who had been plotting to target U.S.-based practitioners of Falun Gong, a spiritual practice banned in China. Chen was sentenced last month to 20 months in prison for acting as an unregistered agent of the People’s Republic of China and bribing an Internal Revenue Service agent.
Sun, a Chinese national, served as the campaign manager and business partner for a Southern California politician, described in court records only as Individual 1. The politician was running for local elected office in 2022.
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U.S. Atty. Martin Estrada called the case “another example of a very disturbing trend” of the Chinese government seeking to influence foreign and domestic policies in the United States. China takes a broad approach, he said, including connecting with local government officials who might not yet be on the national stage.
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There have been growing signs that China is attempting to influence state and local governments. In 2022, federal authorities issued a notice warning that the Chinese were collecting personal information about state and local leaders and trying court those who might rise to higher office.
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Earlier this year, federal authorities charged a woman who had served as a senior deputy to two New York governors with being a Chinese agent working to push that government’s agenda. Prosecutors alleged that Linda Sun’s actions included preventing representatives of the Taiwanese government from having access to the governor’s office.
Yaoning Sun was arrested Thursday morning. If convicted of all charges, he faces up to 15 years in federal prison, prosecutors said.
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