A 68-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen, Yuanjun Tang, has pleaded guilty to conspiring to act as an agent for China’s Ministry of State Security, the DOJ said. Once a pro-democracy activist who fled Beijing’s rule, Tang secretly reported on Chinese dissidents in the U.S., infiltrated pro-democracy groups, and provided intelligence to Chinese officials from 2018 to 2023. He faces up to five years in prison when sentenced in January 2026.
Separately, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth warned that China is expanding its influence worldwide, including attempts to control the Panama Canal. He said the U.S. is countering Beijing with new agreements that ensure American warships priority passage and joint security activities, pointing to Panama’s withdrawal from China’s Belt and Road Initiative as progress.
