Red Chinese Spies Fill Hong Kong

0 Comments | Insight on the News, Feb 26, 2001 | by Jamie Dettmer, | Timothy W. Maier, | Shelia R. Cherry

The People's Republic of China has dispatched more than 1,000 intelligence agents to Hong Kong to keep tabs on political dissidents, according to the Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy.

Since the 1997 hand-over of the former British colony, Chinese security activities in Hong Kong steadily have increased, the center claims.

While China has denied such activities, the center's director, Frank Lu, said at least 1,000 surveillance officers are settling in the territory. The Chinese Legal Daily reported that, in the year 2000, 148 public-security officers came to Hong Kong to carry out investigations into 57 different groups.

The Hong Kong government is aware of Beijing's secret spying but has maintained an attitude of "one eye open and one shut," Lu claims. The recent deployment of these spies comes on the heels of the deportation from Hong Kong of members of the Falun Gong spiritual group.

Beijing claimed Falun Gong members were deported for offensive political comments, which deviated from the original purpose of the group to promote their culture and religion. The spiritual movement remains legal in Hong Kong but has been banned in China since July 1999.