A Chinese-American was found guilty on Wednesday of acting as a Chinese agent in a case involving a Chinese police station set up in New York’s Chinatown.
The week-long trial of Lu “Harry” Jianwang, 64, was seen as a test of Washington’s ability to counter what prosecutors said were efforts by Beijing to expand its influence and intimidate Chinese communities well beyond its shores.
On the three charges Lu faced in the US Eastern District Court of New York, he was found guilty of acting as an unauthorised agent of China and of obstruction of justice but not guilty of conspiracy to act as a foreign agent.
“We’re obviously disappointed by the verdict,” said John Carman, Lu’s lawyer, standing beside Lu outside the courthouse. “Harry’s motives were pure.”
Carman said Lu planned to appeal.
Lu was accused of using the fourth floor America Changle Association office, located in a building in Manhattan’s Chinatown, to establish an overseas Chinese police station that performed ordinary administrative tasks but also monitored and harassed overseas Chinese. The association is a prominent Fujianese-American community group.
