Harry Lu Jianwang, 64, was convicted by a U.S. jury on May 14, 2026, for running a covert Chinese police station in Manhattan aimed at monitoring Chinese dissidents living in the U.S. and abroad [1, 2]. The secret police station operated out of an office in Manhattan's Chinatown and openly displayed a banner reading "Fuzhou Police Overseas Service Station, New York, USA" as part of China’s effort to surveil and intimidate its political opponents overseas [1, 2].

Lu faced charges of acting as an illegal agent of China’s Ministry of Public Security and obstruction of justice. He now faces up to 30 years in prison [1]. His co-defendant, Chen Jinping, pleaded guilty to similar charges in 2024 and is awaiting sentencing [2]. Both men were arrested in April 2023 after a lengthy FBI investigation [1, 2].

The FBI search in October 2022 at the Manhattan office seized phones and WeChat messages that helped build the case [1, 2]. FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle Jr. said, "Lu Jianwang used a police station in New York City to target PRC dissidents in furtherance of the Chinese government’s political agenda" [1]. Barnacle added the verdict sends a message that the FBI will continue to disrupt clandestine operations by foreign agents in the United States [2].

Joseph Nocella Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said, "A police station operating in New York City at the direction of the Chinese government has been exposed, its sinister purpose disrupted, and its founder held accountable for blatantly disregarding the law and our country’s sovereignty" [2].

China denies the existence of such police stations abroad. Foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said, "China is a country governed by the rule of law and has always strictly abided by international law and respected all countries’ judicial sovereignty" [1].

The case highlights China’s global campaign by its Ministry of Public Security to set up overseas police stations to track dissidents. The FBI and prosecutors have pledged ongoing vigilance to detect and stop these efforts [1, 2]. Chen Jinping’s sentencing date has not yet been set.