Arthur Liu, a father of 16, told The Associated Press that he was contacted by FBI agents last October and warned him about the scheme while his daughter, 16 years old, was preparing to attend the Winter Olympics in Beijing in February. He said that he didn’t tell his daughter about it to not scare her away from the competition.
Late Wednesday, Arthur Liu stated that “We believed Alysa had an excellent chance of making it to the Olympic team and were really scared,”
Five men were charged by the Justice Department with acting for the Chinese government in a series brazen schemes to harass and stalk Chinese dissidents living in the United States.
Arthur Liu claimed that he and his daughter were named in the criminal complaint as “Dissident3” and “family member.”
Zhao Lijian, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, stated that he wasn’t aware of the details surrounding the allegations and that China was opposed to “slandering the U.S. by making an issue out of thin air.”
Zhao said that China always requires Chinese citizens to adhere to the laws and regulations in host countries. Zhao spoke to reporters during a daily briefing on Thursday. “The transnational harassment schemes are bogus.”
Liu stated that he stood up against China’s bullying and allowed his daughter to participate in the Olympic Winter Games. She placed 7th in her event.
“This is her moment. This is her chance to compete at the Olympic Games for the first time in her life. Arthur Liu stated, “I’m not going let them stop her going and I will do whatever I can make sure she is safe and I’m willing make sacrifices for her to enjoy the moment.” “They won’t win, to stop me or to silence me from speaking my mind anywhere,” Arthur Liu said.
According to the father, he was willing to let his daughter compete after receiving assurances from U.S. Olympic Committee and State Department that she would be well protected in China. At least two people will accompany her.
Arthur Liu stated that they are likely trying to intimidate us to… threaten us not say anything, cause trouble to them, and say anything political, or related to the human rights violations in China. I was concerned about her safety. “The U.S. government did an excellent job protecting her.”
He claimed that a man called him in November last year, months before the Olympics. He claimed to be with the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and asked for his passport numbers. Arthur Liu declined to give them, and promised to call Team USA’s contact the next day.
“I didn’t feel good about this. Arthur Liu stated that he felt something was amiss. “From my dealings avec the U.S. Figure skating association never called me to request copies of our passports. After realizing what he wanted, I cut the conversation short.
U.S. spokesperson Figure Skating was not mentioned by Team USA.
In a statement to AP, the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee stated that “The security and safety of the U.S. delegation are our top priority” and that they work closely with their partners, including government agencies, in order to ensure the safety of athletes at the Games.
Arthur Liu stated that he doesn’t recall being approached by Matthew Ziburis in person. Ziburis was arrested Tuesday on charges of conspiring to commit interstate harassing and criminal use of an identification method. Ziburis was released after posting a bond of $500,000
Prosecutors claim that Ziburis was hired by the family to monitor them and pose as a member on an international sports committee. They asked Arthur Liu for copies of his and Alysa Liu’s passports, claiming that it was a COVID-19 travel “preparedness” check. According to the complaint, Ziburis threatened to deny or delay international travel if Arthur Liu did not agree.
According to the elder Liu, he fled China in 20s as a political asylum seeker after he protested against the Communist government’s 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. Arthur Liu settled in San Francisco Bay Area after completing law school. He was one of America’s most promising and successful athletes.
His daughter visited their ancestral home for the first-time during the Olympics. Arthur Liu stated that his daughter is warmly welcomed by Chinese media and fans, who consider her one of their own.
Through his spying investigations, he discovered that China knew about an Instagram message that his daughter had posted concerning human rights violations against Uyghur ethnic minorities. Alysa Liu told her father during the Games that a stranger approached her late at night in a cafeteria following the free skate event. He then asked her to go to his apartment.
“I have accepted that my life will be like this since 1989 when I fought against the government. Arthur Liu stated that he is confident that the Chinese government will reach out to every corner of the globe. “I will continue to live my life to the fullest and enjoy every moment of it. I won’t let this get me down, and I won’t let them succeed.
