Nebraska Passes Bill Targeting Chinese Covert Influence Operations
The Nebraska Legislature has passed LB644, a sweeping new law aimed at exposing and curbing covert influence operations conducted by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
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Yahoo
an hour ago
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British businessman ‘spied for Beijing and tried to smuggle weapons into China'
A British businessman tried to smuggle missiles and drones into China and attempted to silence critics of Xi Jinping, according to an indictment. John Miller is accused of spying for the Chinese Communist Party and faces extradition to the US after his arrest in Serbia. The 63-year-old allegedly referred to Xi Jinping, the Chinese president, as 'The Boss' in intercepted phone calls and conducted surveillance on an artist who created statues mocking the country's leader. In April, Mr Miller was arrested along with 43-year-old Chinese national Cui Guanghai, in Belgrade, Serbia, on the orders of the FBI and is now awaiting extradition to the US where he could be jailed for 20 years. Over two and a half years, Mr Miller and Mr Cui allegedly employed a wide range of tactics to harass, intimidate, stalk and threaten a Los Angeles resident, known only as 'the victim', who is a public critic of President Xi. 'As alleged, the defendants targeted a US resident for exercising his constitutional right to free speech and conspired to traffic sensitive American military technology to the Chinese regime,' said Todd Blanche, the US deputy attorney Miller is a long-time resident of the US, but also owns a £1.5 million home in Tunbridge Wells in Kent. Companies House records show Mr Miller has held roles in at least five UK companies, including TEFL Jobs China Ltd, which seemed to facilitate English language teaching jobs, but is now dissolved. A few months before the case began in June 2023, Mr Miller went to China where he met with Chinese government officials in Beijing and Liaoning, a province in north-east China that borders North Korea. He also met someone who works for the governor of Liaoning. During the trip, Mr Cui reportedly introduced Mr Miller to two people, who Mr Miller later referred to as 'big mother------s.' Upon his return, he reportedly boasted that 'the trip couldn't have gone better'. The first incident referred to in the indictment occurred shortly after he returned. In October 2023, Mr Miller and Mr Cui approached two individuals who, unbeknownst to them, were working for the FBI. They enlisted the undercover agents to stop 'the victim' from protesting against Xi's appearance at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit the following month. Mr Miller and Mr Cui allegedly installed tracking devices on 'the victim's' car and paid the undercover agents to slash their tires. Mr Miller and Mr Cui also devised a complex plan to destroy a set of statues created by 'the victim'. These depicted President Xi and his wife bare-chested, kneeling with their hands tied behind their backs, and were potentially going to be displayed at a protest. The 'victim' had previously displayed the statues in Times Square electronic billboards and broadcast the display on X, according to court documents. Initially, Mr Miller had wanted to steal the statues and 'remove the heads' as evidence, but later decided to pay the undercover FBI agents to 'smash up' them up. In 2025, Mr Miller paid the agents $36,500 (£27,100) to convince 'the victim' to desist from showcasing the new statues at an upcoming protest, after 'the victim' had displayed the statues on a 24-hour live feed online. Beyond the intimidation schemes, Mr Miller also allegedly tried to purchase millions of pounds worth of military equipment on behalf of the Chinese military. Mr Miller reportedly tried to buy a £37,000 Stinger portable missile launcher, two military drones valued at £148,000, a £668,000 AGM-88E anti-radiation missile system and a £1.5 million air-defence radar system. He also allegedly tried to procure a cryptographic device, which is used for secure communication of classified and sensitive information. At one point, the Briton suggested that the device be smuggled from the US to China by hiding it inside a food blender or a motor starter, having shipped it first via DHL or FedEx to Hong Kong, according to court documents. Several times in Mr Miller's conversations, he mentions a 'boss' or at times a 'big boss' that seems to be the one giving orders. According to the special FBI agent who submitted the affidavit, Mr Miller's use of the phrase 'boss' 'refer[s] to President Xi' and 'demonstrates [Miller's] awareness that he was acting at the direction and control of the [Chinese] government.' Mr Blanche said: 'This is a blatant assault on both our national security and our democratic values. This Justice Department will not tolerate foreign repression on US soil, nor will we allow hostile nations to infiltrate or exploit our defence systems. 'We will act decisively to expose and dismantle these threats wherever they emerge.' Bill Essayli, attorney for the Central District of California, said: 'The indictment alleges that Chinese foreign actors targeted a victim in our nation because [they] criticised the Chinese government and its president. 'My office will continue to use all legal methods available to hold accountable foreign nationals engaging in criminal activity on our soil.' Akil Davis, the assistant director in charge of the FBI's Los Angeles field office, said: 'The FBI will not tolerate transnational repression targeting those in the United States who express dissenting opinions about foreign leaders. 'Both defendants face serious stalking charges in Los Angeles and my office intends to hold them accountable for bullying a victim, a critic of the PRC [People's Republic of China], and targeting him with violence.' If convicted, Mr Miller could also face the maximum penalties of five years in prison for conspiracy, five years in prison for interstate stalking, and 10 years in prison for smuggling. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
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China condemns US decision to revoke student visas
China has lodged a protest over the US declaration that it will 'aggressively' revoke the visas of Chinese students studying at US universities. China's ministry of foreign affairs told reporters on Thursday that it had formally objected to Washington over Wednesday's announcement by Marco Rubio, the secretary of state. A spokesperson for the Chinese government, Mao Ning, accused the Trump administration of using national security and ideology as a pretext for the 'unreasonable' decision, which 'seriously damaged the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese students and disrupted the normal cultural exchanges between the two countries'. She added: 'This political and discriminatory practice of the US has exposed the lies of the so-called freedom and openness that the US has always advertised, and further damaged the US's own international image, national image and national credibility.' Rubio's announcement had specifically cited increased scrutiny for students from China and Hong Kong, one of the largest sources of revenue for US universities. It came after China criticised his department's decision a day earlier to suspend visa appointments for students worldwide, at least temporarily, and a week after Trump's administration sought to end permission for all international students at Harvard University, which had rebuffed pressure from the president. Related: Hong Kong targets 'top talent' as Harvard faces international student ban Rubio said the US would 'aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist party or studying in critical fields. We will also revise visa criteria to enhance scrutiny of all future visa applications from the People's Republic of China and Hong Kong.' Young Chinese people have long been crucial to US universities, which rely on international students paying full tuition. China sent 277,398 students in the 2023-24 academic year, although India surpassed it for the first time in years, according to a report by the Institute of International Education, backed by the state department In his previous term, Trump also took aim at Chinese students but focused attention on those in sensitive fields or with explicit links with the military. It was unclear to what extent Rubio's statement marked an escalation. On Wednesday, Mao said Beijing had urged Washington to 'safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of international students, including those from China'. Rubio has trumpeted the revocation of thousands of visas, largely to international students who were involved in activism critical of Israel. A diplomatic cable signed by Rubio on Tuesday ordered US embassies and consulates not to allow 'any additional student or exchange visa … appointment capacity until further guidance is issued' on increasing screening of applicants' social media accounts. The measures also threaten to put pressure on students from countries friendly to the US. Trump is furious at Harvard for rejecting his administration's push for oversight on admissions and hiring, amid his claims the school is a hotbed of antisemitism and 'woke' liberal ideology. A judge paused the order to bar foreign students pending a hearing scheduled for Thursday, the same day as the university's graduation ceremony for which thousands of students and their families had gathered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The White House has also stripped Harvard, as well as other US universities widely considered among the world's most elite, of federal funding for research. Harvard has filed extensive legal challenges against Trump's measures.
Epoch Times
19 hours ago
- Epoch Times
Dutch Defense Minister Warns of Escalating Chinese Spy Operations
Dutch Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans warned Saturday that Chinese cyber espionage targeting the Netherlands is intensifying, with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) particularly focused on stealing advanced semiconductor technology. 'The semiconductor industry, which we are technologically leading—or technology advanced, of course—to get that intellectual property, that's interesting to China,' Brekelmans told Reuters on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue security forum in Singapore on May 30.
