US Accuses Chinese Students in Connection with Military Base Visit
A group of exchange students from Shanghai visited a Michigan National Guard base, where troops from Taiwan were conducting training. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Five Chinese nationals have been charged with providing false information to the FBI and destroying evidence related to their activities, after they were found near the largest National Guard training base in the US.
A criminal complaint filed in federal court on Tuesday outlines that the five were located near Camp Grayling in northern Michigan in August 2023. They initially presented themselves as journalists before departing the area.
“The defendants are not in custody. Should they come into contact with US authorities, they will be arrested and face these charges,” stated Gina Balaya, a spokesperson for the US Attorney’s Office in Detroit, on Wednesday.
The Associated Press did not disclose the identities of the men, who were reportedly involved in a joint program between the University of Michigan and Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China, having graduated earlier this year.
As noted in the FBI affidavit, a sergeant major with the Utah National Guard confronted the group around midnight at a lake near the military installation. One of the individuals allegedly responded with “we are media,” after which they gathered their belongings and agreed to leave. The FBI later found evidence that the group had reserved a room at a nearby motel a week in advance.
In December, four months following the incident, one of the men was interviewed by US Customs and Border Protection at the Detroit airport prior to traveling to South Korea and China. He claimed the group intended to visit the area, located about 200 miles north of Ann Arbor, “to see shooting stars,” as mentioned in the affidavit.
A search of his hard drive uncovered “two images of military vehicles” taken on the same date as their encounter at the lake.
The remaining four members of the group were interviewed in March after arriving in Chicago from Iceland. They confirmed their presence near Camp Grayling in August 2023, stating that their purpose was to observe a meteor shower.
At that time, multiple National Guard units from around the US were engaged in a significant exercise at the facility, which included soldiers from Taiwan, as reported by the Japanese state broadcaster NHK several weeks later.
The People’s Republic of China asserts that Taiwan is its sovereign territory and has committed to peacefully reintegrating the self-governing island. Taiwan is governed by US-backed descendants of nationalists who fled after the Chinese Civil War in 1949.
The FBI affidavit suggested that the group of college students from China may have photographed “vital defense sites” in the US on several occasions, though no specifics were provided.
To date, the US has not accused any of the students of espionage related to Camp Grayling. Instead, the complaint suggests that the five used WeChat in December to discuss removing photos from their phones and cameras taken during their trip to Michigan.
Ramin Sohrabi contributed to this report for TROIB News
A criminal complaint filed in federal court on Tuesday outlines that the five were located near Camp Grayling in northern Michigan in August 2023. They initially presented themselves as journalists before departing the area.
“The defendants are not in custody. Should they come into contact with US authorities, they will be arrested and face these charges,” stated Gina Balaya, a spokesperson for the US Attorney’s Office in Detroit, on Wednesday.
The Associated Press did not disclose the identities of the men, who were reportedly involved in a joint program between the University of Michigan and Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China, having graduated earlier this year.
As noted in the FBI affidavit, a sergeant major with the Utah National Guard confronted the group around midnight at a lake near the military installation. One of the individuals allegedly responded with “we are media,” after which they gathered their belongings and agreed to leave. The FBI later found evidence that the group had reserved a room at a nearby motel a week in advance.
In December, four months following the incident, one of the men was interviewed by US Customs and Border Protection at the Detroit airport prior to traveling to South Korea and China. He claimed the group intended to visit the area, located about 200 miles north of Ann Arbor, “to see shooting stars,” as mentioned in the affidavit.
A search of his hard drive uncovered “two images of military vehicles” taken on the same date as their encounter at the lake.
The remaining four members of the group were interviewed in March after arriving in Chicago from Iceland. They confirmed their presence near Camp Grayling in August 2023, stating that their purpose was to observe a meteor shower.
At that time, multiple National Guard units from around the US were engaged in a significant exercise at the facility, which included soldiers from Taiwan, as reported by the Japanese state broadcaster NHK several weeks later.
The People’s Republic of China asserts that Taiwan is its sovereign territory and has committed to peacefully reintegrating the self-governing island. Taiwan is governed by US-backed descendants of nationalists who fled after the Chinese Civil War in 1949.
The FBI affidavit suggested that the group of college students from China may have photographed “vital defense sites” in the US on several occasions, though no specifics were provided.
To date, the US has not accused any of the students of espionage related to Camp Grayling. Instead, the complaint suggests that the five used WeChat in December to discuss removing photos from their phones and cameras taken during their trip to Michigan.
Ramin Sohrabi contributed to this report for TROIB News
