U.S. Expelled Two Chinese Embassy Officials Suspected of Espionage
December 15 2019 - 7:26PM
Dow Jones News
By Gordon Lubold, Warren P. Strobel and Michael R. Gordon
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. quietly expelled two Chinese Embassy
officials on suspicions of espionage after they improperly drove
onto a sensitive U.S. military facility in Virginia in September,
two U.S. officials familiar with the matter said.
The incident highlights what U.S. officials have said is
Beijing's increasingly aggressive intelligence-gathering operations
against the U.S., which have heightened tensions between the two
economic superpowers even as they try to reach accord on trade and
other issues.
The expulsion of the officials, whose names couldn't be learned,
took place as President Trump was trying to reach a broad trade
agreement with China, and while he was under pressure to take a
more forceful stance backing student protesters in Hong Kong.
Neither side has publicly acknowledged the incident, which was
earlier reported by the New York Times. It is believed to be the
first time the U.S. has expelled Chinese diplomats for suspected
espionage in more than 30 years.
The incident in September occurred at a sensitive installation
in the Norfolk, Va., area, those familiar with the episode said.
The two officials from the Chinese Embassy in Washington tried to
gain access to the base but were turned away, one U.S. official
said. Nonetheless, they drove about a mile onto the base before
they were stopped and detained, U.S. officials said.
The Times reported that the group, which included the officials'
wives, attempted to evade military personnel who pursued them and
stopped only after firetrucks blocked their way. The Chinese
officials then claimed they hadn't understood the guards' English
instructions.
It isn't clear which U.S. military installation was breached.
The Norfolk area has numerous military sites, including several
that house Special Operations forces, including Navy SEALs.
The activity by the Chinese officials seems an unlikely way to
gather secret intelligence. Rather, it may have been a way to test
the base's security, or to send a psychological signal to the
Americans that Beijing intends to become more aggressive in its
espionage.
The Chinese Embassy didn't immediately respond to a request for
comment. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, which is responsible
for tracking foreign diplomats and stopping foreign espionage
inside the U.S., declined to comment. The State Department declined
to comment.
"We take the security of all our installations very seriously.
We don't have any information to provide about the alleged
incident," a Pentagon spokesman said. "We refer you to the
Department of State for questions about Chinese diplomats."
Washington and Beijing are trying to compete and cooperate
simultaneously in different arenas. The U.S. and China last week
agreed to a so-called phase-one trade deal after months of tense
negotiations.
The State Department in October imposed new restrictions on
Chinese diplomats in the U.S., requiring that they notify the
department before any meetings they have with state and local
officials, or with educational and research institutions.
The new measures were primarily a response to even more
stringent controls that China had placed on U.S. diplomats. But,
one of the officials said, the incident in the Norfolk area was one
factor that American policy makers discussed before imposing the
new restrictions.
Write to Gordon Lubold at Gordon.Lubold@wsj.com, Warren P.
Strobel at Warren.Strobel@wsj.com and Michael R. Gordon at
michael.gordon@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
December 15, 2019 19:11 ET (00:11 GMT)
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