TOP OF THE AGENDA

Governor's ex-aide charged as China agent

Ms Sun and Mr Hu were arrested at their $3.5m (£2.7m) Long Island home on Tuesday. Credit: Reuters

A former deputy chief of staff to New York Governor Kathy Hochul has been charged with acting as an agent of the Chinese government. Linda Sun was fired from her role in 2023 after the governor's office discovered "evidence of misconduct" and reported it to the authorities. She and her husband Christopher Hu face 10 criminal counts, including violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act, visa fraud, and money laundering conspiracy. The couple pleaded not guilty to the charges. The indictment details a series of actions Ms Sun took "at the order, direction, or request" of Beijing, including preventing Taiwanese diplomats from speaking to New York officials. In return, prosecutors say Ms Sun was given rewards totalling millions of dollars, and the couple laundered large amounts of money to buy luxuries, including a Ferrari and property in Hawaii and New York.

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• Meanwhile, in the Philippines: Former Philippine mayor Alice Guo, who was on the run for weeks after being accused of spying for China, has been arrested in Indonesia.

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• Analysis: In May, BBC security correspondent Gordon Corera wrote about China's growing espionage threat, and how the West has struggled to keep up.

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• Not just China: In July, a prominent US expert on North Korea was accused of spying for South Korea in exchange for luxury goods and fancy meals. Sue Mi Terry, a former CIA analyst, has denied the charges.

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