The US accuses China of trying to “undermine” the US judicial system

Secretary of Justice of USA accused on Monday China interfering in the US judicial system by announcing indictments against 13 Chinese citizens who allegedly worked for Beijing’s spy agencies.

Merrick Garlandwho also serves as attorney general, detailed three separate cases in which Chinese intelligence agents harassed dissidents within USAattempted to interfere in the prosecution of a Chinese telecommunications giant, and pressured American academics to work for them.

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The cases showed that the Chinese government “tried to interfere with the rights and freedoms of people in the United States and to undermine our judicial system that protects those rights,” Garland said.

“The Justice Department will not tolerate attempts by any foreign power to undermine the rule of law on which our democracy is founded,” the top US law enforcement official told a news conference.

Garland made the statement a day after the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, won a historic third term.

Washington officials have credited Xi with a growing effort to China over the past decade to steal American intellectual property and take action against Chinese political dissidents living in the United States.

One of the cases, focused on the harassment and pressure on dissidents, was revealed last week.

In that case, seven Chinese nationals allegedly tried to force a US resident to return to China. Two people were arrested, but five others, all suspected to be employed by Chinese intelligence agencies, remain at large, probably in China.

In the second case, two suspected Chinese intelligence agents were charged with trying to obstruct a US lawsuit against a Chinese telecommunications company. The charging document does not specify the name of the company involved, but the details mentioned suggest that the case concerns Huawei.

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In 2019, Huawei was accused of a systematic campaign to steal American technology.

The third case involves members of Chinese intelligence posing as academics to recruit agents in the United States.

“In all three cases and, frankly, in thousands of others, we find the Chinese government threatening established democratic norms and the rule of law while seeking to undermine America’s economic security and fundamental human rights.”said FBI Director Christopher Wray.

Source: AFP

Source: Elcomercio

Ronald Payne

I, Ronald Payne, am a journalist and author who dedicated his life to telling the stories that need to be said. I have over 7 years of experience as a reporter and editor, covering everything from politics to business to crime.