Fang Fang Exposes China’s Long Game
The declassified FBI files on Eric Swalwell tell of a pattern of Chinese influence attempts in grassroots U.S. politics.
Newly released FBI records detail how close suspected Chinese spy Christine Fang, also known as "Fang Fang," came to former California Representative Eric Swalwell and other U.S. political figures. In a 2015 interview with FBI agents, Swalwell admitted to having intimate relations with Fang on multiple occasions while she volunteered for his campaign.
U.S. intelligence officials have long known that China's espionage activities are sophisticated and multifaceted, ranging from cyber attacks to human intelligence sources. While the FBI found no evidence that Fang obtained classified information, experts believe that sex, money, and power continue to be the primary tools for spycraft.
Fang enrolled at a Bay Area university in 2011 and became involved in local politics through Asian American civic groups. Initially targeted under the code name "Rusty Thumbs," she was later implicated in a counterintelligence operation called "Freshman Fifteen" for orchestrating illegal straw donations on behalf of the Chinese government.
Swalwell, who was elected to Congress in 2013, was cleared of all suspicion by the FBI and the House Ethics Committee. However, the case continued to haunt him as he later resigned from Congress over sexual misconduct allegations. Beijing's strategy involves targeting rising U.S. political figures with a long-term plan to secure influential allies or assets.
This bottom-up approach differs from traditional lobbying and is especially effective in pluralistic democracies where the burden of proof for prosecution is high.
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