US, FBI: "China Conducts Fox Hunt Against Dissidents"

Return to Korea, Forced Suicide and Family Threats
Warning of Possible Interference in November US Presidential Election

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Jo Young-shin] Christopher Wray, Director of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), stated on the 7th (local time) that Chinese authorities are conducting a 'fox hunt' targeting dissidents. The fox hunt is a repatriation operation of corrupt officials that began in 2014 as part of Chinese President Xi Jinping's anti-corruption campaign. It targets corrupt officials and businesspeople who have fled overseas.

Director Wray also warned Chinese authorities about the possibility of Chinese interference in the upcoming U.S. presidential election scheduled for November 3.

According to overseas media including Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (SCMP), AFP, Reuters, and The Guardian, Director Wray claimed in a speech at the Hudson Institute, a U.S. think tank, that the Chinese government is conducting repatriation operations targeting hundreds of Chinese dissidents residing in the United States.

Wray pointed out that the ongoing fox hunt is targeting dissidents rather than being an anti-corruption effort. He said, "The main targets are dissidents who expose human rights abuses in China," adding, "Many of them are U.S. citizens or permanent residents." He also mentioned cases where individuals were forced to choose between returning to China or committing suicide, and cases where families were threatened.

However, he did not comment on whether Chinese operatives involved in the fox hunt have been arrested in the United States.

Wray also mentioned the possibility of Chinese interference in the U.S. presidential election. He said, "China's malicious activities to influence foreign countries target our policies and positions year-round." He continued, "This is not a threat limited to the election period but a constant threat throughout the year, and it clearly affects the election, with clear preferences on their part."

Previously, U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election by manipulating social media to help candidate Trump win.

Director Wray stated that more than half of the 5,000 counterintelligence cases currently handled by the FBI are related to China. He emphasized, "The FBI's investigations into China cover 56 different fields," and "There is a threat from China across the entire country."

Meanwhile, on the same day, the U.S. Department of State announced visa restrictions on Chinese officials involved in restricting visits to Tibet.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement, "Today, I am imposing visa restrictions on Chinese government and Communist Party officials who are substantially involved in establishing or implementing policies related to foreign access to the Tibet region."

Secretary Pompeo explained that this measure is taken against Chinese officials under a new U.S. law that pressures China to allow U.S. diplomats, journalists, and tourists to visit Tibet.

The United States passed the "Tibet Reciprocal Access Act" in 2018 to guarantee visits to Tibet after China restricted visits by U.S. journalists, diplomats, and ordinary tourists. However, the statement did not include the names of those subject to visa restrictions.

AP evaluated this measure by saying, "The Trump administration has fired a new shot in the diplomatic war with China," adding, "The U.S., which has been in disputes over Hong Kong, the Xinjiang region, and the South China Sea, has imposed visa restrictions targeting Chinese officials."