In 2023, the United States became the first country to lay charges against individuals accused of running extraterritorial Chinese police stations. Now, they appear to be getting their first conviction.
Chen Jinping, a 60-year-old American citizen, admitted this week to maintaininga covert Chinese “police station” in Manhattan’s Chinatown on behalf of Beijing’s Ministry of Public Security.According to the US Department of Justice, the station covered an entire floor of a building above a ramen shop. It reportedly provided legitimate services like driver’s license renewals but also spied on dissidents and pressured individuals to return to China.
How many more stations are out there? China has been accused of running100 similar stations in 53 countries, including inthe EU andCanada. In New York, officials were able to prosecute due to the existence of the US Foreign Agents Registry, a tool also in force in Australia and which waslegislated this year in Canada. Similar legislation was introduced in the UK but hasbeen delayed, a move opposition MPs blame on the new Labour government’s “softening” attitude toward China.
Jinping faces a maximum penalty offive years in prison, while his co-defendant, Lu Jianwang, awaits trial after pleading not guilty. Beijing denies the charges and qualifies them as asmear campaign by Washington.
The day before the United States and Israel struck Iran on February 28, more than 150 accounts on Polymarket correctly bet it would happen on that specific date.
In this “ask ian,” Ian Bremmer breaks down the latest developments in the Middle East, highlighting a new five-point peace initiative from China and Pakistan.
Last week, Microsoft announced Microsoft Elevate for Changemakers, a new initiative designed to help nonprofit leaders confidently navigate the AI era. The program provides essential AI credentials, access to a peer community, and role-based resources to support responsible, mission-driven AI adoption. Part of Microsoft’s broader Elevate commitment, the initiative builds on the company’s 50-year legacy of supporting nonprofits worldwide. Microsoft partners with nearly one million nonprofit and education organizations globally and will deliver more than $5 billion in discounts, donations, and grants in the coming year. By equipping those closest to social challenges with the tools to lead, Microsoft Elevate for Changemakers helps ensure nonprofits remain at the forefront of AI-powered solutions. Read the full blog here.
The US president has now suggested several times that the Iran war could end without reopening the Strait of Hormuz.