In the United States, two natives of China were arrested on charges of illegal work for Beijing.

The US Justice Department filed charges and arrested two Chinese natives on suspicion of illegally working for the Chinese government in the US.

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John Chen, a US citizen, and Lin Feng, a Chinese citizen, are accused of being “unregistered agents of the Chinese government,” according to a statement from the Justice Department. They are suspected of “conspiracy to act in the interests of the Chinese government, conspiracy to bribe an official, and conspiracy to launder money.” The prosecutor’s office claims that the purpose of their work was to put pressure on the followers of the banned Falun Gong sect living in the United States.

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The accused were arrested Friday in California and could face up to 20 years in prison.