The U.S. is once again facing a major national security controversy tied to Chinese influence. Linda Sun, a staffer for the New York Governor, has been charged and appeared in court as an unregistered agent of China, shining a spotlight on Beijing’s reach within the United States.
According to The Washington Post, federal prosecutors stated that Sun had received massive funds from China over the years, totaling $18.1 million—an amount extremely disproportionate compared to her $145,000 annual salary. She is accused of using this money to purchase a $1.9 million apartment in Hawaii, a $3.6 million mansion on Long Island, and a 2024 Ferrari.
Sun allegedly pushed measures within the New York state government that favored the Beijing government, including blocking Taiwanese representatives from meeting with New York politicians, assisting Chinese officials with U.S. visas, and even forging the governor’s approval signature on official invitation letters. The indictment also mentions that she intervened in the state government’s Lunar New Year address, requesting the removal of references to Uyghur detentions to avoid offending the Chinese government.
The trial began on Nov.11 at the Brooklyn Federal Court and is expected to continue until mid-December. Although she is not charged with espionage, prosecutors explicitly accuse her of long-term efforts to advance Beijing’s political interests in the U.S. Videos related to the case have sparked strong public backlash, with many criticizing her for “betraying America” and calling for severe punishment.
According to the Associated Press, Sun and her husband, Hu Xiao, were arrested last year during U.S. operations targeting suspected Chinese spies. They were re-indicted in June this year as part of the government’s broader investigation into pandemic-related fraud.
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Prosecutor Amanda Shami told the jury during opening statements: “Linda Sun is someone who can be bought.”
Born in China, Sun later became a U.S. citizen. She served in the state government for about 15 years, holding positions including Deputy Chief of Staff and advisor in the Governor’s office.
Amid growing national security concerns, an investigation revealed that Chinese buyers used multiple shell companies to quietly purchase a trailer park next to Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri. This base is a core deployment site for U.S. B-2 stealth bombers and was also the launch site for a U.S. airstrike on Iranian nuclear facilities in June this year. The purchased land is less than a mile from the runway, separated only by a small area of trees.
The report claims the buyer deliberately concealed their identity, but the funds could be traced back to a businessman with a fraud record who has ties to Chinese state-owned enterprises or intelligence systems. The method of acquisition mirrors China’s past infiltration tactics near sensitive U.S. military sites. One U.S. congressman remarked: “It’s this layer-by-layer shell structure that should really raise alarms.” Some commentators noted that in the event of a conflict, U.S. B-2 bombers could take off from positions adjacent to Chinese-owned land, a highly sensitive symbolic issue.
According to The Bureau, the couple also appeared in court documents in British Columbia and in video evidence. The footage was filmed outside the home of Vancouver journalist Bingchen Gao, where operatives associated with Chinese-American businessman Miles Guo’s faction had repeatedly staged near-siege protests to exert pressure. Guo, who resides in New York, has been reported to have links to Chinese intelligence.
By Wang Jun
