China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) has released details regarding the case of John Shing-wan Leung, a permanent resident of Hong Kong and a US passport holder, who was sentenced to life in prison for espionage charges. Leung was convicted of serving as an informant for a US intelligence agency and conducting spy activities under the guise of charity.
According to the MSS statement, Leung, who was born in Hong Kong in 1945, moved to the US in 1983 to run a restaurant. In 1986, US intelligence agents contacted him and recruited him as an informant, agreeing to pay him $1,000 per month plus bonuses based on performance. They also fabricated a false background for him, claiming he had studied in the UK, worked as a United Nations official, and served in the Vietnam War. Leung later obtained US citizenship.
To enhance his influence among overseas Chinese communities, the US instructed Leung to assume positions in Chinese community organizations and portray himself as a “patriotic philanthropist.” Under this pretense, he engaged in extensive espionage activities, including monitoring Chinese nationals and overseas Chinese in the US, approaching Chinese diplomatic personnel, and reporting to US intelligence agencies.
Leung also cooperated with US efforts to carry out sting operations, meeting with targeted individuals at designated locations to entice them into sensitive transactions for the purpose of fabricating Chinese spy cases. He collected a significant amount of intelligence related to China and received a meritorious medal from a US intelligence agency.
In 2020, US intelligence agencies instructed Leung to enter the Chinese mainland to gather intelligence, which eventually led to his arrest in April 2021. Under Chinese law, individuals involved in espionage activities endangering national security can be sentenced to between 10 years and life in prison. Additionally, individuals coerced into participating in spy activities overseas are not held accountable if they report themselves to Chinese security authorities.
Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs University, stated that this case highlights the threat posed by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the US to China’s national security. Leung’s fate serves as a warning to others engaged in similar activities, urging them to surrender or face severe punishment.