Yuanjun Tang, a prominent figure in New York’s Chinese dissident community and once a vocal critic of Beijing, has pleaded guilty to acting as an unregistered agent for the Chinese government, sending shockwaves through pro-democracy circles in the United States. The 68-year-old, who for decades positioned himself as a defender of democratic ideals, now stands at the center of a case that exposes both the reach of Chinese intelligence services and the vulnerabilities of diaspora activism in the West.
According to court documents cited by multiple outlets, including Devdiscourse, IBNS, and Taipei Times, Tang admitted on September 16, 2025, to collecting and transmitting sensitive information about fellow Chinese American dissidents to operatives of the People’s Republic of China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS). The MSS, China’s principal civilian intelligence agency, is responsible for foreign intelligence, counterintelligence, espionage, and political security. Tang’s plea underscores what American officials describe as a disturbing trend of “transnational repression,” in which authoritarian regimes attempt to harass, surveil, or silence critics living abroad.
Tang’s story is one of extraordinary turns. Born in China, he was a participant in the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, a movement that ended in a violent crackdown and shaped the trajectory of Chinese dissent for decades. For his role, Tang spent 12 years in a Chinese prison. In 2002, he orchestrated a daring escape, reportedly paying a fishing boat to take him close to Kinmen County’s Tatan Islet, an outpost of Taiwan. There, he swam ashore, surrendered to Taiwanese soldiers, and declared his wish to defect. With the help of the American Institute in Taiwan, Tang secured political asylum in the United States, settling in Flushing, Queens, a neighborhood known for its vibrant Chinese community.
Once in New York, Tang quickly became a fixture in the city’s pro-democracy scene. He founded the Chinese Democracy Party Eastern US Headquarters Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to promoting democracy in China. He joined monthly protests outside China’s Manhattan consulate, often leading chants and holding banners denouncing the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). For many, Tang was a symbol of resilience and hope—a man who had endured torture and imprisonment, yet remained steadfast in his advocacy.
But as federal prosecutors revealed, Tang’s public persona masked a secret collaboration with Chinese intelligence. Between at least 2018 and June 2023, Tang acted on instructions from an MSS officer, regularly providing information about individuals and groups the Chinese government considered adversarial. This included naming, photographing, and recording participants in U.S.-based pro-democracy activities. Notably, Tang documented a 2023 protest in Manhattan dedicated to the victims of the Tiananmen Square massacre, a highly sensitive topic for Beijing. He also supplied the MSS with contact information for New York-based immigration lawyers assisting dissidents, as well as details about the process for seeking political asylum in the United States.
According to IBNS, Tang accepted monetary payments for his espionage work and traveled at least three times to Macau and mainland China for face-to-face meetings with MSS officers. During these trips, he underwent polygraph tests and allowed the MSS to install a specialized application on his cellphone, enabling the instantaneous transmission of photographs and other data. He was also provided a laptop for secure communications. Law enforcement later recovered encrypted instructions, photographs, videos, and documents Tang had collected for the MSS. In a particularly unsettling revelation, Tang helped the MSS infiltrate an encrypted group chat used by U.S.-based Chinese dissidents to coordinate pro-democracy efforts and share criticism of the Chinese government.
Federal prosecutors believe Tang’s motivation was deeply personal. Facing pressure from Chinese authorities and longing to visit family members in China, Tang allegedly agreed to spy in exchange for permission to travel. As Devdiscourse and Taipei Times reported, his case is not isolated. It follows a series of high-profile investigations into China’s efforts to monitor and intimidate dissidents abroad. Just last year, another Chinese American, Shujun Wang, was convicted for gathering information on Hong Kong democracy protesters and other activists for Beijing. In 2023, the U.S. Justice Department charged two men with helping establish a secret police outpost in Manhattan’s Chinatown, further highlighting the scale and audacity of China’s overseas operations.
The reaction from law enforcement has been swift and unequivocal. “Tang’s betrayal of the ideals of the US to help the Chinese government repress pro-democracy activists goes against the very values he claimed to promote,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia, as quoted by Taipei Times. The FBI’s New York Field Office led the investigation, and officials remain concerned about ongoing threats to the safety and freedom of exiled Chinese activists.
Tang’s arrest and guilty plea have cast a pall over New York’s dissident community. For many, the revelation is a painful reminder of the risks they face—even far from China’s borders. The sense of betrayal is particularly acute given Tang’s stature and the trust he commanded among fellow activists. In a 2018 interview with The New York Times, Tang himself hinted at the emotional toll of exile: “In the first year you speak brave, bold words. In the second, nonsense. By the third, you have nothing to say at all.” The quote, now viewed in a different light, speaks to the disillusionment and isolation that can haunt those who challenge authoritarian regimes from afar.
Legal experts say Tang’s guilty plea carries significant implications. He has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to act as an agent of a foreign government without notifying the U.S. Attorney General, a charge that carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for January 29, 2026, with a federal district court judge set to determine Tang’s fate after weighing the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case has also reignited debate over how Western democracies should respond to transnational repression. Advocates for the Chinese diaspora argue that stronger protections and more robust law enforcement cooperation are needed to safeguard the rights of exiles and prevent foreign interference. At the same time, some caution against painting all Chinese immigrants with a broad brush, emphasizing the importance of due process and the presumption of innocence.
For now, Yuanjun Tang’s journey—from Tiananmen Square protester to New York activist to convicted spy—serves as a stark illustration of the complexities and perils of dissent in the 21st century. The outcome of his sentencing, and the broader reckoning within the dissident community, will be watched closely by human rights advocates and government officials alike.
As the United States confronts the challenges of safeguarding free expression and protecting vulnerable communities, Tang’s case is a sobering reminder that the battle for democracy and human rights does not end at national borders—and that even the most trusted voices can sometimes harbor secrets that shake a movement to its core.
