Businessman and community leader in New York found guilty as covert agent of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the 'Fox Hunt' operation.
Title: China's Shady Influence Exposed: O'Leary Slams Beijing for Oppressive Tactics
Bold strategist Kevin O'Leary, Chairman of O'Leary Ventures, dishes on China's political maneuvers as they ponder trade negotiations with the US, the fate of TikTok, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's 2028 plans.
A prominent Chinese businessman, living it up in New York, was recently sentenced to 20 months in federal prison for acting as an unregistered agent of the Chinese Communist Party. Quanzhong An, a local bigwig and Queens' Chinese business community leader, pleaded guilty in March to a long-lasting campaign to force a Chinese expatriate, referred to as "John Doe-1" by the US Department of Justice, into returning to China under duress.
The saga revolves around Operation Fox Hunt, a global campaign initiated under Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Critics view this operation as a sinister method to silence critics, intimidate political dissidents, and bypass international legal norms, a claim Beijing firmly denies.
Trump closed a loophole on cheap online goods from China in early 2025. As for An, he coordinated efforts to pressure "John Doe-1" – reported by The Wall Street Journal to be Liu Shenxiang, a former executive at a state-owned enterprise in Shandong Province who fled China in 2000 and later settled in the US.
Chinese authorities have slapped Liu with charges regarding financial crimes, but the U.S. maintains neutrality on the matter. Prosecutors allege that An, acting under the direction of Chinese officials, harassed, surveilled, and delivered threatening messages to Liu and his family, even attempting to confront Liu's family in person.
Not stopping at involving family members, An also enlisted his daughter, An Guangyang, who served two days in jail for unrelated visa violations. An was ordered to pay restitution, forfeit millions in assets, and faces possible deportation.
Despite being the head of the Chinese Business Association of New York and other cultural groups in Flushing, Queens, An never registered as a foreign agent – a breach of U.S. law.
The FBI considers the Chinese government the "greatest threat to transnational repression worldwide." In response, the Trump administration announced new tariffs in early 2025 on strategic Chinese sectors, such as technology and logistics, due to national security concerns. The White House also directed the DOJ to ramp up enforcement of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) and go after undercover operatives acting on behalf of foreign governments.
On-going investigations into similar cases of foreign interference and the FBI's focus on threats from authoritarian regimes targeting U.S. soil remain a top priority. The Department of Justice was unavailable for comment as of press time.
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Background: Operation Fox Hunt Exposed
Launched in 2014 and renamed "Sky Net" in 2019, Operation Fox Hunt is a global initiative by China aimed at repatriating accused individuals, including dissidents and political opponents of President Xi Jinping. This operation seeks to exert China's political influence beyond its borders, often by employing coercive measures. Over the initiative's first decade, China successfully returned over 12,000 individuals from more than 120 countries[1][4].
Criticisms and Legal Implications
Operation Fox Hunt has drawn ire from U.S. officials and human rights organizations for its coercive tactics, which include employing intermediaries to pressure family members of targets into compeling them to return to China. Notable cases illustrate these tactics:
- McMahon's Transnational Repatriation Plot: Former NYPD officer Michael McMahon was convicted in the U.S. for his role in a transnational repatriation scheme. McMahon, along with other collaborators, used law enforcement databases and surveillance tactics to track down Xu Jin, a former Chinese official who took refuge in the U.S.[2][3].
- Dissenters and Political Rivals Targeted: Critics argue that Operation Fox Hunt often targets not only corruption suspects but also dissidents and political rivals of the Chinese government, leading to human rights concerns and the potential erosion of legal protections for individuals targeted by the Chinese regime[4].
These operations have sparked worry about the need for international cooperation to protect citizens from such campaigns and ensure they comply with international law.
- The controversial Chinese operation, Operation Fox Hunt, has been accused of using assets such as property and influence to force individuals back to China, including political dissidents and opponents.
- Kevin O'Leary, Chairman of O'Leary Ventures, has expressed concerns about China's involvement in real estate, asserting that the country's political influence might lead to unethical practices in investment and business.
- In the case of Quanzhong An, a Chinese businessman living in New York, his activities were considered as a threat to the general news landscape, as he used his position to pressure a Chinese expatriate to return to China under duress, violating national laws on foreign agents.
