Latest news with #Cui
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Foreign nationals charged amid Trump visa crackdown for scheme to smuggle US military equipment into China
Two foreign nationals have been charged for their role in a scheme to smuggle U.S. military equipment and technology — including missiles — into China, according to the U.S. Justice Department. The charges come as President Donald Trump and his administration have launched multiple efforts to beef up the vetting process for foreigners seeking visas in the U.S., particularly those from China. Cui Guanghai, 43, of China, and John Miller, 63, of the United Kingdom, were charged with interstate stalking and conspiracy to commit interstate stalking, conspiracy, smuggling and violating the Arms Export Control Act, the Justice Department announced Friday. Prosecutors believe that Cui was working on behalf of the Chinese government, according to court documents. China Targets Us Military Members In Overseas Spy Operations, Former Cia Station Chief Warns Court documents allege that Cui, who is based in China, and Miller, who is a permanent resident in the U.S., sought to procure military equipment including missiles, an air defense radar, drones and cryptographic devices starting in November 2023. The two allegedly coordinated with two other individuals, who, unbeknownst to Cui and Miller, were working on behalf of the FBI, on ways to export the cryptographic device to China. Read On The Fox News App Cui and Miller allegedly discussed how to hide the cryptographic device in a blender, other small electronics or a motor starter — or ship the device to Hong Kong first — to avoid detection. They paid $10,000 as part of a deposit for the cryptographic device, court documents say. Additionally, Cui and Miller allegedly recruited two people to help them conduct a scheme that sought to silence an unnamed U.S. citizen from speaking out against Chinese President Xi Jinping's appearance at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in November 2023, court documents say. Specifically, both Cui and Miller allegedly orchestrated a plot to surveil the U.S. citizen, install a tracking device on his or her car, slash the car's tires, and purchase and destroy a pair of statues the U.S. citizen created of Xi and Xi's wife. However, the individuals that Cui and Miller allegedly recruited were actually working in coordination with the FBI, according to court documents. Us Investigating Whether Chinese Citizen Charged With Flying Drone Over Base Committed 'More Serious Offenses' "The defendants targeted a U.S. resident for exercising his constitutional right to free speech and conspired to traffic sensitive American military technology to the Chinese regime," Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement Friday. "This is a blatant assault on both our national security and our democratic values. This Justice Department will not tolerate foreign repression on U.S. soil, nor will we allow hostile nations to infiltrate or exploit our defense systems." Cui and Miller were arrested by Serbian law enforcement officials in April at the request of the U.S. government and are currently detained in Serbia. The Justice Department said it is working with the Serbian government regarding their pending extraditions. If convicted, Cui and Miller face up to five years in a U.S. prison for conspiracy, up to five years for interstate stalking, up to 10 years for smuggling, and up to 20 years for violating the Arms Export Control Act. The Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the U.S. did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the U.K.'s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office told Fox News Digital that it is providing consular assistance to Miller following his arrest and "are in touch with the local authorities and his family." Separately, the State Department has unveiled a series of initiatives aimed at bolstering the screening process for various visa applicants seeking to come to the U.S. For example, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced in May that the agency was planning to "revise visa criteria to enhance scrutiny of all future visa applications" for those originating from China and Hong Kong. Illegal Immigrant From China Shipped Weapons To North Korea From California: DojOriginal article source: Foreign nationals charged amid Trump visa crackdown for scheme to smuggle US military equipment into China
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
British businessman accused of plotting to smuggle US military technology to China
A British businessman has been indicted in the US with attempting to traffic sensitive American military technology to China and silence a critic of the Chinese president. John Miller, 63, was named by US authorities at the weekend after his arrest in Serbia, where he is facing extradition in connection with an FBI investigation. The Mail on Sunday reported that he was from Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Both he and a Chinese man, Cui Guanghai, are wanted in the US on charges relating to conspiracy to commit interstate stalking and conspiracy, smuggling and violations of the Arms Control Act. Both were named in US court documents, which included allegations that they had discussed ways to smuggle encryption technology out of the US and into China. The documents allege they paid a $10,000 deposit for a cryptographic device via a courier in the US. The same documents also allege that, beginning in November 2023, they had sought to buy 'US defense articles, including missiles, air defense radar, drones, and cryptographic devices' for unlawful export to China. The alleged plot involved them having discussions with other people – identified in the US court documents as 'Individual 5' and 'Individual 6' – about smuggling the encryption technology in small electronics, a blender and a motor starter. Miller is also accused with Cui of plotting with two other individuals to prevent a US resident from protesting against Xi Jinping's attendance at the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (Apec) summit in Los Angeles in November 2023. The alleged target was said to have previously made public statements in opposition to the policies and actions of the Chinese government and President Xi. In the weeks leading up to the Apec summit, Cui and Miller are alleged to have directed and coordinated a plot to surveil the victim, install a tracking device on their car, slash the tyres on their car and then purchase and destroy a pair of artistic statues created by the victim depicting President Xi and his wife. The two individuals with whom they had allegedly conspired in relation to this were in fact 'acting at the direction of the FBI'. In spring last year, the alleged victim announced that he planned to make public an online video feed depicting two new artistic statues of President Xi and his wife. Miller and Cui are alleged to have paid two other individuals, who were also working with the FBI, approximately $36,500 to convince the alleged victim to desist from the online display of the statues. The US deputy attorney general, Todd 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.' The FBI deputy director, Dan Bongino, said: 'The defendants allegedly plotted to harass and interfere with an individual who criticised the actions of the People's Republic of China while exercising their constitutionally protected free speech rights within the United States of America.' Miller, a permanent US resident, and Cui were named in indictments returned by federal grand juries in Milwaukee and Los Angeles. Miller was arrested in Belgrade on 24 April. If convicted they face maximum penalties of five years in prison for conspiracy, five years in prison for stalking, 20 years in prison for violation of the US Arms Export Control Act and 10 years in prison for smuggling. The US Department of Justice said it was coordinating with Serbian authorities regarding the pending extraditions of Cui and Miller from Serbia.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
DOJ accuses foreign nationals of trying to export U.S. military technology to China and stalking dissenters of communist regime
Two foreign nationals were indicted by federal grand juries, accused of organizing the stalking and harassing of a dissenter of the People's Republic of China, and for trying to organize the exportation of U.S. military technology back to China. Cui Guanghai, 43, of China, and John Miller, 63, of the United Kingdom and a unidentified U.S. lawful permanent resident were indicted May 30 by federal grand juries in Milwaukee and Los Angeles. They've been charged with interstate stalking and conspiracy to commit interstate stalking and conspiracy, smuggling, and violations of the Arms Export Control Act. Beginning in or about November 2023, Miller and Cui obtained U.S. defense weapons and technology, including missiles, air defense radar, drones and cryptographic devices, for the purpose of export to China, according to prosecutors. According to the federal indictment, Cui and Miller used encryption technology to communicate with buyers and on or about December 2023, Miller communicated with someone only identified as Individual 1 about a "Christmas wish list" of "radar, technology, and stuff." Miller said he wanted to reverse engineer the technology and that buyers were "interested in the Western stuff," including night vision goggles and the armored plates that "go on armored vehicles and tanks that the Yanks have," the indictment said. The indictment details months of messages exchanged by Miller and Cui with unidentified people, where different weapon systems are discussed and monetary values and wire transfers are initiated. The men discussed exporting the devices in other household technology like computers and blenders, the indictment said. A wire transfer was made from a bank in the Los Angeles area to a Wisconsin bank account of an unidentified person that was provided to Cui for a portion of the deposit, according to the indictment. According to prosecutors, Cui and Miller also enlisted the help of people inside the U.S. to harass and stalk a victim that was an outspoken dissenter of the Chinese government. Unbeknownst to Cui and Miller, the people inside the U.S. offering to help them were actually affiliated with and acting at the direction of the FBI. The victim made public statements in opposition to Chinese President Xi Jinping's appearance at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation or APEC summit in November 2023. In the weeks leading up to the APEC summit, Cui and Miller directed and coordinated an interstate scheme to surveil the victim, to install a tracking device on the victim's car, to slash the tires on the victim's car, and to purchase and destroy a pair of artistic statues created by the victim depicting Xi and his wife, according to prosecutors. Cui and Miller also asked more FBI informants to harass the victim after he said he would depict the statues of Xi and his wife online in the spring of 2025, according to prosecutors. Cui and Miller are in Serbia and the U.S. is coordinating with Serbian authorities regarding extraditions. If convicted, Cui and Miller face the following maximum penalties: five years for conspiracy; five years for interstate stalking; 20 years for violation of the Arms Export Control Act; 10 years for smuggling. "The defendants allegedly plotted to harass and interfere with an individual who criticized the actions of the People's Republic of China while exercising their constitutionally protected free speech rights within the United States of America," FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said. "The same individuals also are charged with trying to obtain and export sensitive U.S. military technology to China. I want to commend the good work of the FBI and our partners in the U.S and overseas in putting a stop to these illegal activities." This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Prosecutors accuse men of exporting U.S. military technology to China
RTHK
17-05-2025
- Business
- RTHK
'China will insist on peaceful development'
'China will insist on peaceful development' Cui Jianchun said a country has been causing chaos around the world with its sanctions and tariffs. Photo: RTHK John Lee said he sees young people getting more interested China's diplomacy. Photo: RTHK Beijing's Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the SAR, Cui Jianchun, on Saturday said a country has been causing global chaos by enforcing unilateral sanctions and waging tariff wars. Without naming the country, Cui said it has gone against the flow of history as it damaged international treaties and left global organisations. He said China, meanwhile, will insist on treading the path of peaceful development and mutual cooperation. "China is not afraid of being intimidated by a hegemonic power," Cui said during a speech at the Hong Kong Cup Diplomatic Knowledge Contest hosted by his office. "There is no way out for protectionism, and there are no winners in rotten tariffs. "China will continue to actively embrace the world and empower the world with high-quality development and a high-level opening up." Cui called on young people to learn more about Chinese history, understand more about the nation's foreign affairs as they observe what's going on around the world. He said people can then remember their Chinese roots while cherishing the opportunities offered by the times. At the same event, Chief Executive John Lee said he sees young people getting more interested in the country's foreign affairs, expressing the hope that they could learn more about the nation's new developments on the international stage. He noted that under the "One Country, Two Systems" principle, the SAR can engage with other places in areas such as finance under the name of Hong Kong, China. Lee said he's glad that the state leaders of Qatar and Kuwait attached great importance to the delegation he led to the Middle East this week. "We took a step further in our relationships with the governments of the two places," he said. "We created business opportunities, expanded our areas of cooperation as well as our circle of friends."
Herald Malaysia
16-05-2025
- General
- Herald Malaysia
Chinese Catholics celebrate the opening of two new churches
Chinese Catholics see the inauguration of new churches in the nation's Hubei Province and Shanxi Province as concrete signs of perseverance on the path of faith. May 16, 2025 File photo of Chinese Catholics celebrating their faith (AFP or licensors) BEIJING: The growth and perseverance of Catholic communities in the People's Republic of China have been marked by the recent opening of two new churches, tangible expressions of enduring faith amidst changing historical contexts. Church of Christ the King According to Fides News Agency , on May 10, Bishop Francis Cui Qingqi, OFM, of Hankou/Wuhan presided over the solemn inauguration of the new Church of Christ the King in Xiaogan, Hubei Province. During his homily, Bishop Cui described the 33-meter-high bell tower as a symbol directing the faithful's gaze toward the Kingdom of Heaven, while also serving as a call to ground Christian life in the richness of Chinese tradition. The inauguration ceremony drew a large gathering, including 32 concelebrating priests and about 1,000 local Catholics. Civic officials also attended the liturgy. The new church, encompassing 525 square meters, includes a rectory and a parish centre, and has a capacity for over 500 worshippers. Bishop Cui called the church 'a place of prayer and a source of grace,' anticipating that it would become a spiritual and architectural landmark in the region. Our Lady of China On the same day, the parish of Guzhai in the Archdiocese of Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, also consecrated a new church, dedicated to Our Lady of China, just ahead of her feast day on May 13. The celebration followed the parish's observance of the recent election of Pope Leo XIV. Bishop Paul Meng Ningyou, who led the ceremony, reflected on the history of the small rural parish, noting the resilience and missionary dedication of its members. Despite facing challenges such as an ageing population, Bishop Meng praised the vitality of the community, enriched by the presence of migrant workers, and highlighted the parish's spirit of communion and synodality. He commended the laity as the 'driving force' of the parish and encouraged their active role in prayer leadership and parish management. Both celebrations concluded with prayers for the guidance of Christ and the intercession of the Virgin Mary as these communities continue to grow in faith and witness.--Vatican News
