FOUR Chinese nationals detained in the Philippines on espionage charges allegedly funneled donations to a Philippine city and police forces through Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-affiliated groups, according to evidence reviewed by Reuters.
Wang Yongyi, Wu Junren, Cai Shaohuang, and Chen Haitao, along with a fifth man, were arrested in late January for allegedly photographing and mapping Philippine naval assets near the South China Sea.
Photos, videos, and online posts show Wang, Wu, and Cai making donations to Tarlac City and two police forces in 2022 via these groups.
These donations included cash and vehicles. The purpose of the donations remains unclear. Tarlac houses significant military bases, including one used for joint US-Philippine military exercises, though photos of these bases were not found on the men’s devices according to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
Further investigation by Reuters revealed that all five men met with China’s military attaché in Manila, Senior Col. Li Jianzhong, at least once before their arrest. Wang, Wu, and Cai are shown meeting the attaché at least three times in 2024, including at the May opening of the civic groups’ Manila office.
This new information regarding the donations, interactions with the military attaché, and links to the CCP has not been previously reported.
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