Alleged Chinese spies gave Philippine city and police cash and motorbikes

28/2/2025 17:24

Four Chinese nationals accused by the Philippines of espionage led Chinese Communist Party-affiliated groups that made donations of cash to a Philippine city and vehicles to two police forces, according to photos, videos and online posts seen by Reuters.



Wang Yongyi, Wu Junren, Cai Shaohuang, and Chen Haitao were among five Chinese men detained by Philippine investigators in late January for allegedly gathering images and maps of Philippine naval forces near the South China Sea.



The five men had flown drones to spy on the Philippines' navy, said the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), adding that it had found photos and maps of sensitive sites and vessels on their phones. A senior NBI official told Reuters that the men had been charged with espionage, which carries a prison term of up to twenty years.



The four men were leaders of civic groups overseen by the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) foreign influence network, according to Reuters' review of articles and multimedia posted by the two groups and in Philippine media.