Hongkonger John Shing-wan Leung ‘posed as philanthropist’ to spy on China for US
- China’s state security ministry has released details of the charges against Leung, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in May
- The 78-year-old was caught after using false identity documents to travel to the mainland in 2020 for an unnamed US spy agency, it said
The ministry said Leung, also known as Liang Chengyun, was caught after he used many false identity documents to travel to the mainland via Hong Kong in 2020, when international flights were halted by Covid-19.
According to the case against Leung, he was sent to China by an unnamed US spy agency that was in a hurry to obtain information. During his visits to the mainland, Leung frequently took part in social activities, the ministry said.
Hong Kong-born Leung opened a restaurant in the US in 1983 and was approached three years later by American espionage personnel who asked for his cooperation. He signed an official contract in 1989 and was paid US$1,000 a month as an informant, it said.
The US government helped to create a new identity for Leung, which included faking his resume to include attendance at a university in England, working as an official for the United Nations, and taking part in the Vietnam war, the ministry said.
