Second Chinese NYPD Officer Fired Following FBI Transnational Repression Investigation

In March of this year, a second Chinese NYPD officer was terminated by the department. This officer was accused of participating in a Chinese-State foreign influence operation. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), however, dropped the charges.

So, Why Were They Fired?

Despite U.S. federal prosecutors dropping the charges against both officers, the NYPD terminated them after they were found guilty in a department trial for violating NYPD policy. According to news reports, the charges included one officer refusing to answer questions by NYPD Internal Affairs and the other officer lying to the FBI.

The NYPD reserves the right to discipline its personnel for actions deemed unbecoming a police officer, even if they are not criminal offenses. It appears that the details of the federal complaints were significant enough to outrage the NYPD, leading to the officers’ termination.

And the outrage appears to be justified.

Context: CCP Influence Campaigns

These terminations should be viewed in the context of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) global influence campaigns through their Ministry of Public Security (MPS) and Ministry of State Security (MSS). These campaigns aim to infiltrate and influence various components of legal and civil societies, including law enforcement, worldwide.

Alleged Actions of the Two Officers:

Lieutenant Steven Li

According to the DOJ press release, Lt. Steven Li was involved in a Fox Hunt (transnational repression) operation in New York City. During a meeting (which Lt. Li arranged) a People’s Republic of China (PRC) official pressured the victim by threatening adverse actions from the PRC government if the victim did not comply with their demands.

Excerpt from the DOJ Press Release:

“According to the complaint, on or about Dec. 1, 2019, Sun [PRC official] also sought out, located, and met with an Operation Fox Hunt target (Victim-3), in New York City, in coordination with a co-conspirator who is a local U.S. law enforcement officer [LT. LI]. During the meeting, Sun threatened and pressured the victim, including by threatening that the PRC government would take certain adverse and retaliatory actions if the victim did not comply with the demands of the PRC government.”

Excerpt from the federal complaint:

“On or about December 1, 2019, CC-2 [Co-Conspirator 2 – LT. LI] acting at the behest of SUN HOI YING, a/k/a “Sun Haiying,” the defendant, contacted Victim-3, identified himself as law enforcement, and told Victim-3 that CC-2 [LT. LI] knew about Victim-3’s trouble in the PRC and requested a meeting.

“Victim-3 agreed to meet CC-2 [LT. LI] at a restaurant in Queens, New York, later that day.

“On or about December 1, 2019, after this initial call, Victim-3 met with CC-2 (LT. LI) in Queens, New York.

“CC-2 [LT LI] displayed law enforcement identification and again indicated that he was a local U.S. law enforcement officer.

“During the meeting, Victim-3 and CC-2 [LT. LI] discussed the following:

“CC-2 [LT. LI] claimed that he was not attending the meeting as a representative of either the U.S. Government or the PRC Government.

“CC-2 [LT.. LI.] asked Victim-3 whether Victim-3 would be willing to meet with an individual to attempt to resolve Victim-3’s case in the PRC.

“When Victim-3 agreed to meet this person, CC-2 [LT.LI] contacted SUN, who then appeared in the private dining room at the restaurant.”

*A retired NYPD sergeant (working as a private investigator) and two PRC officials were tried and convicted in a similar Chinese-State Fox Hunt operation.

Police Officer Baimadajie Angwang

According to the complaint, Officer Angwang provided information on ethnic Tibetans in the New York metropolitan area and facilitated access to senior NYPD officials for the PRC Consulate.

Angwang had familial and financial ties to the PRC, with his father, mother, and brother residing in China and being members of the Chinese Communist Party or the People’s Liberation Army.

Excerpt from the DOJ Press Release:

“According to court documents, Angwang was explicit about his motivations, telling his PRC official handler that he wanted to get promoted within the NYPD so that he could assist the PRC and bring “glory to China.

In addition, Angwang told his handler that the handler’s superiors in Beijing “should be happy . . . because you have stretched your reach into the police.”

Excerpts from the federal complaint:

“Recorded conversations have revealed PRC Official-2 has been a “handler” of ANGWANG; in other words, ANGWANG received tasks from, and reported back to, PRC officials.

“The investigation has revealed that ANGWANG, while acting at the direction and control of PRC officials, has, among other things, (1) reported on the activities of ethnic Tibetans, and others, in the New York metropolitan area to the Consulate, (2) spotted and assessed potential ethnic Tibetan intelligence sources in the New York metropolitan area and beyond, and (3) used his official position in the NYPD to provide Consulate officials access to senior NYPD officials through invitations to official NYPD events.

“None of these activities falls within the scope of ANGWANG’s official duties and responsibilities with either the NYPD or the USAR [U.S. Army Reserve.]

“ANGWANG offered that his position within the NYPD was valuable to the PRC because ANGWANG could provide NYPD information to the Consulate.

Conversation between PRC OFFICIAL [and]ANGWANG: ‘They will know your relations with here–here is good. In other words, let them know, you have recruited one in the police department’.

“Later in the call, ANGWANG invited PRC Official-2 to the NYPD’s annual Asian Jade banquet. After PRC Official-2 expressed concern, ANGWANG indicated that the Consulate “should be happy instead . . . because, because you have extended your reach into the police department.

“ANGWANG later again indicated that he himself was a PRC asset, stating that ‘even if, even if, even if they deny you in the end for whatever reason, but at least let them know, hey, you have someone in the police department here now.’”

Why Would Ethnic Chinese U.S. Police Officers Assist the Chinese State?

Several reasons could explain why ethnic Chinese police officers in the U.S. might assist the Chinese State:

1. Coercion: They might be coerced into assisting, with threats to their families in China.
2. Nationalism: They might be Chinese nationalists who resent the West.
3. Personal Gain: They might believe that assisting the PRC could benefit their families or themselves.

Final Thoughts

Now, not only must the private and public I.P. research and development (R&D) sector consider the potential ties their personnel may have to foreign states, especially China, but local law enforcement must do the same.

It would now be advisable for police departments with robust Chinese communities (i.e., New York City, San Francisco) to submit ethnic-Chinese police candidates’ profile information to the FBI for an assessment of the candidates’ ties to their motherland during the department’s background investigation.

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