The U.S. Justice Department is pursuing the revocation of citizenship for two China-born men convicted of working for Beijing. Jinchao Wei, a former Navy sailor, and Ping Li, a Florida technology worker, are among 40 individuals targeted in denaturalization actions filed between August and October.
The Justice Department's actions underscore a heightened focus on prosecuting individuals accused of acting as agents for foreign governments, particularly China, and highlight the legal pathways available to revoke citizenship obtained through alleged misrepresentation or illegal means.
The U.S. Justice Department is initiating civil proceedings to revoke the citizenship of two China-born men, Jinchao Wei and Ping Li, who have been convicted in separate cases of working for the Chinese regime. The department announced on Monday that these actions are part of a broader effort, with Wei and Li being among 40 individuals targeted in denaturalization filings between August 21 and October 2, 2025.
Jinchao Wei, 26, a native of China, joined the Navy in 2021 and became a U.S. citizen in May 2022. Evidence presented at his criminal trial indicated that he began collaborating with a Chinese intelligence officer in February 2022, providing photographs and operational details of U.S. Navy vessels and systems. He was paid over $12,000 for this information. In August 2025, a federal jury convicted Wei on six counts, including conspiracy to commit espionage and espionage, leading to a 200-month prison sentence in January. The new civil complaint alleges Wei was not legally entitled to his citizenship due to concealed information and failure to complete five years of honorable military service.
Ping Li, 61, a resident of Wesley Chapel, Florida, admitted in 2024 that since at least 2012, he had acted as a "cooperative contact" for China's Ministry of State Security. At the direction of ministry officers, Li gathered information on Chinese dissidents, pro-democracy advocates, Falun Gong practitioners, U.S.-based NGOs, and his employers. He provided identifying information about individuals in the U.S. to intelligence officers.
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