Five Chinese Nationals Charged for Concealing Visit to Michigan Military Site
Charges Filed Against Five Chinese Nationals
Federal prosecutors have brought charges against five Chinese nationals, alleging they lied and attempted to cover up their actions after they were seen near a remote Michigan military site where thousands of troops were participating in summer drills over a year ago. The five individuals, who were undergraduate students at the University of Michigan during the incident in August 2023, left the United States after their graduation in May, as per a criminal complaint filed in federal court on Oct. 1. Arrest warrants have been issued for the five individuals.
Defendants Not in Custody
The defendants are not currently in custody. Gina Balaya, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Detroit, stated on Oct. 2 that the defendants will be arrested and face charges if they come into contact with U.S. authorities.
Incident at Camp Grayling
The incident occurred at Camp Grayling, the largest Army National Guard training facility in the United States, during the annual Northern Strike training event last summer. According to Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, over 7,000 participants from 25 states, one territory, and four countries participated in the military exercises. The defendants are not being charged for what happened at Camp Grayling. Instead, they are accused of misleading investigators about their trip to the location and conspiring to delete photos from their cellphones.
Concerns about Chinese Communist Party's Espionage Efforts
The case underlines concerns in Congress about the espionage efforts of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), either through purchasing land near U.S. military sites or breaching military bases. In 2020, three Chinese nationals were sentenced to prison for trespassing and taking photos of the Naval Air Station Key West in Florida. In July, a Chinese student pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors under the Espionage Act for using a drone to take photos of naval shipyards in Virginia.
Encounter with the Defendants
The defendants, Xu Zhekai, Guan Renxiang, Zhu Haoming, Tao Jingzhe, and Liang Yi, were confronted after midnight at a boat launch on Bear Lake at Camp Grayling by a sergeant major with the Utah National Guard. According to the FBI, one of the defendants claimed they were media before they gathered their belongings and agreed to leave the area. The Utah National Guard had a tactical operations center near Bear Lake, which was visible from the location where the sergeant major encountered the defendants.
Investigation and Evidence
The defendants had reserved a room at a nearby hotel a week before they were spotted. In December 2023, Guan was found at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport with an external hard drive containing two images of military vehicles taken on the same night as the encounter with the National Guard officer. In March, FBI agents interviewed the other four defendants at Chicago O'Hare International Airport, where they claimed they were in Michigan in August 2023 to see a meteor shower. Investigators found that the defendants had discussed deleting photos from their phones and cameras on the Chinese social media app WeChat.
Concerns About Espionage
Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Mich.), chairman of the House Select Committee on the CCP, expressed concern about the case, stating that it shows that CCP espionage can happen anywhere in America and vigilance is necessary. He also raised concerns about Chinese battery maker Gotion's plans to build a manufacturing plant in Michigan and called for stricter guardrails on emerging technology research.
University of Michigan's Joint Program with Shanghai Jiao Tong University
The defendants were studying at the University of Michigan as part of the school’s joint program with Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) in China. The University of Michigan states that more than 150 SJTU students attend the school through dual degree or joint graduate programs every year. The two universities have also established a joint institute in China.
Bottom Line
The case against the five Chinese nationals highlights the ongoing concerns about potential espionage activities by foreign nationals, particularly from China. It underscores the importance of vigilance and robust security measures in sensitive areas such as military sites. What are your thoughts on this issue? Do you believe there is a need for stricter regulations and oversight on foreign students studying in sensitive areas? Share this article with your friends and let them know about this important development. You can also sign up for the Daily Briefing, which is delivered every day at 6pm.
