Chinese music student in US arrested for stalking and harassing pro-democracy activist

Justice Department says he noticed someone posting fliers in Boston with messages that read ‘Stand with Chinese People’ and ‘We Want Freedom’

Alleged threatening behaviour ‘was an attempt to silence and intimidate the activist’s expressed views dissenting of the PRC’, says US attorney

Reading Time:3 minutes

The case in the US District Court of Massachusetts follows a number of others alleging that Chinese nationals harassed US residents. Photo: Reuters

Mark Magnierin New YorkandRobert Delaneyin Washington

Published: 8:05am, 15 Dec 2022Updated: 10:22pm, 15 Dec 2022

A Chinese music student was arrested and charged on Wednesday in Boston federal court after allegedly stalking, threatening and harassing a female activist who posted fliers in support of democracy in China.

The case in the US District Court of Massachusetts follows a number of others alleging that Chinese nationals harassed US residents amid reports of China setting up police boxes in foreign countries to illegally monitor and harass its citizens abroad.

Xiaolei Wu, 25, the suspect charged on Wednesday in the case, was a student at Boston’s Berklee College of Music, touted as the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world.

According to the Justice Department, Wu noticed someone posting fliers on October 22 near the university bearing messages that read “Stand with Chinese People”, “We Want Freedom”, and “We Want Democracy”.

Over the next few days, Wu allegedly harassed the activist on WeChat, email and Instagram, at one point telling them: “You go to post them at Tian’anmen Square. Post more, I will chop your bastard hands off.”