Beijing hunts exiled official overseas using U.S. surveillance tech, AP finds

Li Chuanliang, a retired Chinese official living in the United States after fleeing alleged retaliation, described what he says has followed him across borders: monitoring of his communications, seizures tied to his case, and pressure aimed at his family and associates, according to an Associated Press investigation.

AP reported that Li, who had been recovering from cancer on a Korean resort island, received an urgent warning from a friend not to return to China. Days later, Li said a stranger photographed him in a café, and he feared authorities would eventually send him back. Li fled, flew to the U.S. on a tourist visa, and applied for asylum, AP said, describing how his alleged pursuit continued even after he reached New York, California and Texas.

The investigation said the Chinese government used surveillance technology to identify people connected to Li. AP reported that more than 40 friends, relatives and associates—including his pregnant daughter—were identified and detained, and that authorities tracked down some of their cab drivers through facial recognition software.

AP also reported that Li’s communications were monitored and that his movements were followed in police databases. Li told AP, “They track you 24 hours a day. All your electronics, your phone — they’ll use every method to find you, your relatives, your friends, where you live,” and said, “No matter where you are, you’re under their control.”

According to AP, the efforts fit into overseas operations Beijing has promoted under the names “Fox Hunt” and “Sky Net,” which are aimed at returned fugitives and other targets. AP said critics charge the technology is used not only to pursue corruption cases but also to stifle dissent and exact retribution on people Beijing views as enemies, and it reported that U.S. officials have criticized such overseas operations as a threat and an affront to national sovereignty.

AP said state figures show China used surveillance technology to identify and punish almost 900,000 officials last year—nearly five times more than in 2012, based on AP’s reporting of state data. It reported that Beijing has described these tools as part of an anti-corruption crackdown, while others say the same systems can be used for broader political targeting.

In interviews and documents AP reviewed, Li described his own case as an example of how he believes retaliation extends to relatives. The investigation said Li had accused his boss and other officials in exposing local politics, and it reported that authorities accused him of corruption totaling about $435 million. AP said Li denies criminal charges, and it reported that lawyers and a review of thousands of pages of legal, property and corporate records, interrogation transcripts, and Li’s medical and travel files supported key parts of his account, according to AP.

AP further reported that Li and others had alleged access to evidence was blocked and that interrogations led to coercive confessions and altered legal records. It said Li drew attention as a former official who knew internal workings of local governance and who named individuals, and it reported that while he was in the U.S. he helped launch what he called the Chinese Tyrannical Officials Whistleblower Center.

AP said it reviewed hundreds of leaked emails, government procurements, and internal corporate presentations and found that the technology used by Chinese authorities included tools sold to Chinese units by companies such as IBM, Oracle and Microsoft. It said IBM told AP it sold the division making its i2 program in 2022 and that it uses “robust processes” to ensure the technology is used responsibly, while Oracle declined comment and Microsoft did not respond.

In addition to AP’s reporting about software sales, AP said it found that China’s economic crimes police pursued Li and his family. AP reported that IBM internal slides said it sold i2 to that bureau, and that procurement records showed Oracle and Microsoft software was sold to the same division. AP also said leaked emails indicated i2 software was copied by a former IBM partner, Landasoft, and later sold to China’s disciplinary commissions.

AP reported that China’s foreign ministry told AP that Chinese authorities protect suspects’ rights, handle cases lawfully and respect foreign sovereignty. AP said the ministry urged other countries to avoid becoming a safe haven for corrupt officials and their assets.

The investigation reported that Li’s asylum prospects have become uncertain under the Trump administration, which has paused all asylum applications, and that if he does not return he could face trial in absentia and, if convicted and deported, possibly life in prison. AP said both the FBI and the White House did not comment on Li’s specific case, and it reported that the FBI told AP it considers China’s efforts to retaliate against people in the U.S. who exercise their rights “unacceptable.”

Although Li’s account is personal, AP framed his case as part of a broader pattern in which surveillance technology—developed and sold by companies in the U.S.—could help Beijing pursue targets across continents. As covered in MSI previously, AP also traced U.S. tech links to China’s digital police state in related reporting here.