On November 16, 2021, Matthew Ziburis, a former U.S. Army and Marine Corps veteran, sat outside the house of Arthur Liu in the Bay Area, spying on him at the behest of the Chinese government. Arthur Liu, a Chinese dissident who had fled to the U.S. after the Tiananmen Square crackdown, was being monitored along with his daughter, Alysa Liu, a promising figure skater aiming for the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Ziburis, claiming to be from the U.S. Olympic Committee, contacted Arthur, requesting copies of their passports under the guise of discussing travel to Beijing. This deceitful tactic made Arthur suspicious, as such requests were out of the ordinary for him. Ziburis was unaware that the FBI had been tipped off about his activities, leading to increased surveillance on him as well.
Ziburis’s assignment was part of a larger conspiracy orchestrated from China, with links to Frank Liu, a fixer in the Chinese community, who followed orders from a man named Qiang Sun. Authorities were already monitoring Ziburis, who was ultimately warned by the FBI that his target was departing California due to safety concerns.
Alysa Liu’s Olympic experience in Beijing was disappointing, leading her to retire from figure skating. However, she returned two years later to claim Olympic gold, an achievement that rekindled public interest in her family’s surveillance saga. The case highlighted the lengths to which the Chinese government will go to suppress dissent, even targeting individuals living abroad.
Frank Liu and Matthew Ziburis were arrested on March 15, 2022, both facing charges related to stalking and harassment of Chinese dissidents in the U.S. Ziburis pled guilty to conspiracy charges in December 2022, while Frank’s trial was set to commence, as he maintained his innocence.
Frank Liu, who had established the World Harmony Foundation aiming to foster goodwill between the U.S. and China, used various means to assert influence, even receiving commendations for his financial support of UN events. However, his approach often blurred the lines between legitimate interaction and serving the Chinese government’s interests.
Records revealed that Ziburis had a troubled past, including allegations of abusive behavior while employed as a correctional officer. His connection with Frank Liu led him into a shadowy world of espionage where they conspired to surveil dissidents.
During this time, Arthur had previously experienced similar threats, emphasizing that such tactics reflected the fragility of the Chinese Communist Party, which feels threatened by any dissent. The ongoing investigation into their actions underscores the complexities and dangers associated with international political conflicts and the implications for those caught in the crossfire.
