'Oppose Chinese Spies Narrative': Beijing Denies US Espionage Charges After Arrest Of 2 Nationals
China has strongly objected to the United States' recent indictment of two Chinese nationals on charges of espionage, dismissing Washington's narrative of 'Chinese spies" as baseless. In response to the US Justice Department's announcement, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Beijing 'firmly opposes the hyping up of the so-called 'Chinese spy' narrative" and warned that China would take 'necessary measures" to safeguard its citizens' legitimate rights abroad.
The comments came after US prosecutors charged Yuance Chen and Liren 'Ryan" Lai with acting as agents of China's Ministry of State Security (MSS). According to the DOJ, the two men allegedly gathered intelligence on US Navy bases and attempted to identify service members who could be recruited to spy for Beijing. The duo is accused of orchestrating a dead-drop payment of $10,000 in a California recreational facility locker in exchange for national security information.
#FMsays China always opposes hyping up the so-called 'Chinese spies" narrative, and will take necessary measures to safeguard legitimate rights and interests of Chinese nationals abroad, FM spokeswoman Mao Ning said after the US Department of Justice charged two Chinese citizens… pic.twitter.com/ydKItVoQrj — China Daily (@ChinaDaily) July 2, 2025
China's Foreign Ministry has claimed it was unaware of the specifics of the case but cautioned against political manipulation. 'We have always opposed the hype of so-called Chinese spies," Mao reiterated during a routine press briefing.
The Justice Department has not disclosed who provided the national security material or which military personnel were targeted. The accused men reportedly made their initial court appearances in Houston and Portland. FBI Director Kash Patel alleged the Chinese Communist Party 'thought they were getting away with their scheme" by using classic spycraft tactics.
First Published:
July 03, 2025, 08:50 IST
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