An individual in China has been arrested for espionage after completing tasks for an American company, a situation that experts believe exposes the dangers of working for international corporations in the nation.
In December, a woman named Emily Chen, who is 50 years old, vanished after arriving at Nanjing Lukou International Airport during a trip from Doha, her current place of residence.
Mark Lent, a citizen of the United States, reported that Chen had messaged her family upon her arrival at the airport. However, she did not appear after that. Four days afterwards, her son received a letter from the national security bureau in Dalian, which is located over 570 miles away. The letter stated that she had been detained on December 30th for allegedly sharing state secrets with foreign parties, a crime that could result in up to 10 years in prison or even longer for more severe cases.
Not much information has been provided regarding the exact causes for Chen’s arrest. When contacted by the Guardian, the national security bureau in Dalian refused to give any comments. However, Lent, a photography instructor who wedded Chen in China in 2016, stated that Chen’s only involvement with Dalian was when she assisted a US logistics company in establishing an office there for four months last year.
Lent stated that Chen would never betray her own country and is currently raising funds to cover her legal expenses and family’s living expenses. He has been unable to communicate with her since she was detained and maintains that she was merely an innocent bystander.
Last week, when Chen’s son tried to board a flight in Shanghai, he was not allowed to leave the country. Chen’s son is a Chinese citizen from a previous relationship.
From January to April 2023, Chen was employed as a freelancer for Safe Ports, a US-based logistics company that prides itself on being a top player in supply chain management. Lucy Duncan, the founder and CEO of Safe Ports, expressed that the company had plans to establish a branch in Dalian in order to grow its operations and provide eco-friendly technology solutions for seaports. Duncan described Chen’s role at the company as solely administrative, which included responsibilities like searching for office space. “She performed her duties excellently,” Duncan remarked, and expressed confusion as to why Chen was detained.
The decision was made by Safe Ports to not move forward with the Dalian project due in part to Chen’s acceptance of a full-time position at a French energy company in Doha. Additionally, Duncan determined that the increasingly hostile atmosphere towards foreigners made it unfeasible to conduct business in China.
There is currently no official confirmation that Chen’s detainment is related to her employment with Safe Ports. However, Dalian, a port city in northern China, houses a significant naval base, making any inquiries about ports in that region a delicate issue. This is especially true under the Chinese Communist Party’s military-civil fusion strategy, which seeks to use civilian infrastructure for military advancement.
Safe Ports has a history of collaborating with the US Department of Defense, specifically in providing assistance to troops stationed in Afghanistan. This partnership may have caught the interest of the Chinese government.
China recently updated its counter-espionage law, expanding the scope of what is considered espionage to include any materials, documents, data, or items related to national security. Despite this, Chen is being investigated for espionage charges that were already covered under China’s existing criminal code.
The lack of specific accusations in cases involving alleged espionage has raised worries, according to Steve Tsang, leader of the China Institute at the School of Oriental and African Studies. He stated that this may cause Chinese citizens to reconsider working for international businesses, regardless of the fairness of the accusations.
Chen is currently in custody through a method called residential surveillance at a designated location (RSDL). This allows the government to detain someone for a maximum of six months without legal representation, contact with their loved ones, or the chance to appeal. These individuals are frequently kept in isolation. According to United Nations experts on human rights, RSDL is considered a type of forced disappearance and puts individuals at a greater risk of being subjected to torture, inhumane treatment, or punishment.
It is not known if Chen has been officially accused of any wrongdoing, which is typical in RSDL situations.
Peter Dahlin, the leader of Safeguard Defenders, a non-governmental organization that has studied RSDL, stated that its implementation often indicates a more complex case, involving espionage or national security offenses, or targeting individuals for political reasons.
According to Lent, the US embassy declined to assist him because his wife is not a US citizen. A representative from the US embassy stated that they have no information to provide regarding the situation.
According to Lent, our only hope is a miracle. He has reached out to a Chinese lawyer in an attempt to obtain a photo of Chen to confirm her safety, but has been unsuccessful. He clarifies that he has no intention of attempting to free her as he is unsure of her whereabouts.
Source: theguardian.com
