The Weird, Twisting Tale of How China Spied on Alysa Liu and Her Dad

A shocking revelation has emerged that a Chinese operative attempted to spy on figure skater Alysa Liu and her father, Arthur Liu, years before she became an Olympic superstar, with the operative monitoring other US residents deemed dissidents against China, including a former Chinese pro-democracy activist who was tracked to a small town in California. This incident has raised serious concerns about the extent of China's surveillance activities in the US. The operative, who used a fake identity, tried to gather information about Alysa's father, who was born in China but later became a US citizen, by posing as a friend and showing up at his home unannounced. The implications of this incident are far-reaching, with 140,000 Chinese nationals living in the US being potentially targeted by Chinese operatives, and the FBI having already warned US-based Chinese dissidents about potential spying activities. For instance, a former Chinese pro-democracy activist, who wished to remain anonymous, reported being tracked by Chinese operatives to a small town in California, where he was confronted by a group of men who warned him to stop criticizing the Chinese government. Background context The Chinese government has a history of monitoring and suppressing dissident voices, both within and outside its borders, with the Chinese Communist Party having a dedicated agency, the United Front Work Department, tasked with monitoring and influencing overseas Chinese communities. In 2020, the US Department of Justice charged several Chinese nationals with spying on US-based Chinese dissidents, highlighting the growing concern about China's surveillance activities in the US. For example, a report by the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission found that China's surveillance activities in the US have increased significantly over the past decade, with a significant number of cases involving Chinese operatives attempting to gather information about US-based Chinese dissidents. What to expect next As the US government continues to grapple with the issue of Chinese surveillance, experts predict that there will be increased scrutiny of Chinese nationals living in the US, with the FBI likely to step up its efforts to monitor and prevent Chinese spying activities. The US government has already taken steps to counter Chinese surveillance, including the establishment of a new task force dedicated to investigating and prosecuting Chinese espionage cases. The human cost of Chinese surveillance The incident involving Alysa Liu and her father is a stark reminder of the human cost of Chinese surveillance, with many US-based Chinese dissidents living in fear of being monitored or harassed by Chinese operatives. According to a report by the Human Rights Watch, at least 100 US-based Chinese dissidents have been targeted by Chinese operatives over the past decade, with many more likely to have been affected. The global implications of Chinese surveillance The incident involving Alysa Liu and her father has also highlighted the global implications of Chinese surveillance, with many countries around the world struggling to counter Chinese spying activities. For instance, a report by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute found that China's surveillance activities have been detected in at least 18 countries around the world, including the US, Canada, and the UK. One clear takeaway from this incident is that the US government needs to take a more proactive approach to countering Chinese surveillance, including providing more support and protection to US-based Chinese dissidents and increasing scrutiny of Chinese nationals living in the US, with the FBI having already warned that Chinese spying activities are a significant threat to US national security, citing a 2020 report that found 60% of all espionage cases in the US involved Chinese operatives