Chinese Court Sentences Elderly American Citizen

The elderly American citizen sentenced to life in prison by a Chinese court Monday on spying charges is a veteran leader of several pro-Beijing groups in the United States, who has rubbed shoulders for years with senior Chinese government officials, CNN reporting and research has found.

The court in eastern China that sentenced John Shing-Wan Leung, 78, did not provide additional details on the espionage charges or Leung’s personal background, apart from his US passport and Hong Kong ID numbers and date of birth.

Searching in previous Chinese state media reports, CNN found a man with the same Chinese name and date of birth as Leung, who has headed several pro-China organizations in the US, including a group promoting Beijing’s claims over Taiwan, the Texas Council for the Promotion of China’s Peaceful Reunification.

In the Texas business registry, “John Leung” is listed as one of the three directors of that same group.

Another director listed on the registry, David Tang, confirmed to CNN that the now-imprisoned Leung is an associate at the organization and his long-time friend.

“He’s a very famous person, known by many overseas Chinese in the southern US,” Tang said.

China sentences elderly US citizen to life in prison on spying charges

Despite Leung’s comparative fame and influence, no public information had emerged about his detention in China until Monday’s verdict and sentencing announcement. Leung was seized by state security authorities in Suzhou, Jiangsu province on April 15, 2021, according to the court statement.

Cases involving espionage – a broad and vaguely defined charge – are usually handled behind closed doors in China, where the judicial system has a conviction rate of around 99%.

The US State Department said Monday that it was “aware of the sentencing of a US citizen in the People’s Republic of China on charges of espionage.”

State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel did not get into further specifics, citing “privacy concerns” but stressed that the US seeks to provide “all appropriate assistance,” including consular access, whenever a US citizen is detained abroad.

Asked if Leung has been designated as wrongfully detained, Patel said that “broadly on wrongfully detained designations that work, is a deliberative process that is ongoing.”

CNN was unable to contact Leung’s family members despite repeated efforts.

CNN/Shakirat Sadiq