NEW YORK — In a significant case highlighting the alleged harassment of critics by the Chinese government, a man was sentenced to two years in prison on Wednesday for his involvement in a coordinated effort to pressure a former official to return to China.
Zhu Yong, a 68-year-old retiree from China, showed remorse in court and indicated that he might not have fully considered the consequences of his actions. Speaking through a Mandarin interpreter, he expressed his desire for forgiveness from the victims and the American public, as well as a plea for a chance to rebuild his life and witness his grandchild grow up in the United States.
Zhu was one of three individuals convicted in a 2023 trial that exposed a disturbing pattern of cross-border stalking and surveillance taking place in suburban New Jersey. The individual targeted was Xu Jin, a former official from China, who faced pressure from various parties to return to the country, where he and his wife were accused of bribery—a claim they dispute. Xu and his family assert he is being targeted due to ongoing political rivalries within the Chinese Communist Party.
Throughout the campaign against him, Xu received harassing messages through his daughter’s social media friends, and even his elderly father was flown from China to plead for his return. The intimidation escalated when a threatening note was found taped to Xu’s door, suggesting that returning to China could somehow benefit his family.
Zhu, also known as Jason Zhu or Yong Zhu, faced multiple charges, including stalking and being an unregistered foreign agent. Although he could have faced a sentence of up to 25 years, prosecutors requested about six years for his actions. U.S. District Judge Pamela Chen characterized the offenses as serious threats to national security and pressed Zhu on his reasoning for assisting a Chinese representative in locating Xu. Zhu maintained that he was misled, believing he was only helping to locate Xu over a financial dispute.
During the court proceedings, the judge questioned whether Zhu foresaw any potential harm as a result of his actions. Zhu admitted that he came to understand the severity of the situation after his arrest. Prosecutors described this case as part of a larger context of transnational repression, wherein governments intimidate and silence dissenters outside their borders. This is especially relevant given China’s “Operation Fox Hunt,” a long-running initiative aimed at repatriating fugitives accused of corruption.
Due to the absence of an extradition treaty between the U.S. and China, Beijing cannot compel the return of individuals for prosecution, a point the Chinese government has emphasized while denying involvement in coercive tactics.
Zhu, along with co-defendants Michael McMahon and Zheng Congying, did not argue against their participation in the conspiracy. Zhu had a role in hiring McMahon, a former police sergeant turned private investigator, to help locate Xu. Defense attorneys claimed that the defendants believed they were assisting private clients rather than the Chinese government and were told they were involved in a debt collection process.
After the court session, Zhu’s lawyer, Benjamin Silverman, indicated that Zhu eventually recognized the involvement of Chinese officials but had underestimated the potential consequences of their actions on Xu’s life. The judge concluded that while Zhu evidently did not intend to inflict harm, he did not fully grasp the implications of his conduct and the damage caused to the victims and the United States.
Zhu is set to report to prison on April 15, while the sentences for co-defendants McMahon and Zheng will be determined later this winter. In total, eight individuals have been implicated in this alleged conspiracy, with three having already entered guilty pleas and five others believed to be residing in China.
