An alleged Chinese Communist Party (CCP) operative arrested by the FBI on Monday was pictured meeting with several prominent New York Democrats at swanky dinners and campaign events, a Daily Caller News Foundation investigation found.
Lu Jianwang, whom the FBI arrested Monday for conspiring to act as an agent of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), is pictured with New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and even attended an apparent fundraiser for New York Democratic Rep. Grace Meng, according to multiple Chinese-language news reports and photographic evidence. Lu allegedly operated an overseas police station on behalf of the Chinese government.
The FBI charged Lu with “obstructing justice by destroying evidence of [his] communications with a [Ministry of Public Security] official,” just months after the FBI raided the office of America Changle Association, the nonprofit at which Lu previously served as chairman, sometime in fall 2022.
Multiple photos taken at events in New York City reveal that Lu Jianwang met with Meng, Adams and Schumer during events in 2022 and 2023.
The DCNF identified Lu Jianwang, who served as America Changle Association’s chairman between 2012 and 2018, by matching his photo found on an archived version of America Changle Association’s website with photos from events with Meng, Adams and Schumer.
On April 24, 2022, Lu took part in a fundraiser held in Flushing, New York, for Rep. Meng’s congressional campaign, according to photos posted on CareerEngine.US, a Chinese-language news website. Campaign finance records confirm that Meng’s campaign committee, Grace for New York, held an event at the Crown One Restaurant that day, and photos of the restaurant match the images on CareerEngine.US.
Lu Jianwang attended the April 2022 fundraiser, according to the report which featured an image of Meng and Lu standing side-by-side.
Additionally, Lu Jianshun, the current America Changle Association chairman, also attended the April 2022 fundraiser, according to the report and an included photo which depicts the non-profit’s chairman seated at a table with several men.
Before the FBI raid, America Changle Association allegedly served as an outpost for an overseas Chinese police station linked to an international Chinese police unit known as 110 Overseas, which is headquartered in China’s Fujian province, according to a report from Safeguard Defenders, a human rights group which first revealed the existence of Beijing’s global police network in September.
Lu Jianwang also met with New York Democratic Mayor Eric Adams on a number of occasions at events such as anniversary celebrations for America Changle Association, according to multiple Chinese-language news reports.
In fact, Lu Jianwang and Adams met as recently as March 18, 2023, at an event celebrating the 81st anniversary of the Fujian Hometown Association, according to US China Press. This meeting occurred several months after it was widely reported that the FBI had raided the American Changle Association, and the overseas police station closed down.
A group photo from the event reveals that Lu Jianshun also attended.
Democratic New York Sen. Chuck Schumer also attended the March 2023 event, according to a report from Sina.com.
During the event — which was attended by Wu Xiaoming, a member of the Chinese Consulate — Lu Jianwang, along with two other individuals, were appointed co-chairs of the Fujian Hometown Association, according to the report.
Lu Jianshun personally donated $4,000 to Adams’ mayoral campaign under the adopted name “James Lu” between 2019 and 2021, public campaign finance records show.
To date, the DCNF has not found evidence of Lu Jianshun or Lu Jianwang attending events with prominent Republican lawmakers.
Meng and Schumer did not respond immediately to the DCNF’s request for comment, while Adams’ office declined to comment.