A prominent Chinese businessman in New York has been sentenced to 20 months in federal prison for illegally acting as an agent for the Chinese Communist Party, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Quanzhong An, a permanent U.S. resident and influential figure in Queens’ Chinese business community, pleaded guilty in March to participating in a prolonged campaign to pressure a Chinese expatriate, identified in DOJ filings as “John Doe-1” and reported by The Wall Street Journal to be Liu Shenxiang, into returning to China under duress.
This case is connected to Operation Fox Hunt, a global initiative launched under Chinese leader Xi Jinping, which Beijing claims targets corruption and aims to repatriate fugitives. U.S. officials, including the FBI and DOJ, have criticized the program as a tool for transnational repression used to intimidate political dissidents and circumvent international legal norms.
Quanzhong An, 58, residing in Roslyn Heights, N.Y., received his sentence at the Brooklyn federal courthouse in New York for his role in this Chinese government repatriation campaign.
According to DOJ court documents, An coordinated an effort to harass and surveil Liu, a former executive at a state-owned enterprise in Shandong province who fled China in 2000 and settled in the U.S. Chinese authorities have accused Liu of financial crimes and listed him among the 100 most-wanted economic fugitives. The U.S. has taken no position on the validity of these charges.
Prosecutors allege that An acted under the direction of Chinese officials, aiding them in locating Liu and delivering intimidating messages.
An informed Liu’s family that if Liu returned to China, criminal charges would be dropped, but if he stayed in the U.S., he could expect relentless legal pressure and personal harassment. The Wall Street Journal reported that Chinese operatives even published Liu’s New York address and attempted personal confrontations with his family.
The Justice Department stated that An arranged for Liu’s relatives to travel from China to pressure him, monitored Liu’s home, and involved his daughter, An Guangyang, who received a two-day jail sentence for unrelated visa violations.
An was ordered to pay nearly $1.3 million in restitution to Liu, forfeit over $5 million in assets, and now faces possible deportation. Despite leading the Chinese Business Association of New York and other cultural groups, An did not register as a foreign agent as required under U.S. law.
He maintained connections with the Chinese government, including political advisory roles in Shandong province, even as he invested millions in New York real estate.
The FBI has labeled the Chinese government as a significant threat to transnational repression globally, noting repeated efforts by Beijing to surveil, coerce, and intimidate people residing lawfully in the United States. These operations are viewed as part of a broader pattern undermining American sovereignty and public safety.
In response, the Trump administration announced new tariffs on strategic Chinese sectors, such as technology and logistics, citing national security concerns. The White House also directed the DOJ to increase enforcement of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) and take legal action against covert operatives working on behalf of foreign governments.
DOJ officials have stated that investigations into similar cases of foreign interference are ongoing and that the FBI continues to prioritize threats from authoritarian regimes targeting individuals on U.S. soil.
The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for comment.
