In a shocking development, Wang Shujun, a Chinese pro-democracy activist based in New York, has been accused of spying for the Chinese government. Wang, who co-founded a group advocating democracy in China, was arrested by U.S. authorities in March and charged with espionage. He is accused of collecting information on prominent activists and human rights leaders since at least 2011, including pro-democracy activists from Hong Kong, advocates for Taiwanese independence, and Uyghur and Tibetan activists. Wang allegedly communicated with his handlers through encrypted channels and saved information in a physical address book. The Chinese embassy in Washington has denied the spying accusations. Activists familiar with China's tactics were not alarmed by the revelation, as they were aware of the tactics used by China's United Front Work department to neutralize threats to the Chinese Communist Party. Despite concerns about spies, caution is advised in making unfounded accusations to avoid harming innocent individuals and sowing distrust in the community. The investigation is seen as a positive sign that the U.S. is taking these activities seriously. [a169c283]