U.S. Department of Justice seeks to revoke citizenship of alleged Chinese agent

The United States Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit to revoke the citizenship of Li Ping, a naturalized citizen accused of acting as an unregistered agent for the Chinese Ministry of State Security. Li was previously sentenced to 48 months in prison in November 2024 for conspiring to act as a foreign agent.

According to DOJ documents, since at least 2012, Li operated under the direction of Chinese security officials to collect information on Chinese dissidents, democracy advocates, and Falun Gong practitioners within the United States. The government argues that Li’s actions demonstrate he did not truly adhere to the principles of the U.S. Constitution at the time of his naturalization.

The legal action is part of a broader response to what has been described as transnational repression by the Chinese Communist Party. Reports indicate an increase in threats against Falun Gong practitioners and Shen Yun Performing Arts, including bomb threats at theaters in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. These activities are allegedly part of a coordinated effort to undermine the group's presence and influence abroad.