Chinese Espionage in New York: Democracy Under Attack

Exposing foreign espionage in New York: A threat to American democracy.

Edy Zoo
6 min readSep 3, 2024
A stylized illustration of a serious-looking man with a beard, wearing round glasses and a turtleneck sweater.
Spy Illustration: A modern interpretation of espionage. Created using Google Image Fx.

In a world where reality often mimics the most absurd fiction, New York — a state that prides itself on being the beating heart of American progress — finds itself entangled in a narrative that could easily be mistaken for the plot of a second-rate spy thriller.

The recent revelations that a former aide to two New York governors has been charged with acting as an undisclosed agent of the Chinese government are not just shocking; they’re a clarion call for a much-needed reality check.

If anyone still harbors the illusion that foreign espionage was a relic of the Cold War, they might want to revisit those history books—or perhaps just look at today’s headlines.

Let’s take a moment to appreciate the sheer irony of this situation. New York, the state that has given us Wall Street, Broadway, and the Statue of Liberty, is now also the state that has given us Linda Sun — an alleged undercover agent of the Chinese government.

Sun, who held key positions under Governors Kathy Hochul and Andrew Cuomo, stands accused of subtly steering New York’s governmental messaging in favor of Chinese interests.

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Edy Zoo

Edy Zoo is a social critic, theologian, and philosopher who writes about social subjects.