Singapore reputation concerns after Jun Wei Yeo admits being Chinese spy in US

The Singapore citizen, also known as Dickson Yeo, pleaded guilty in Washington to operating illegally as a foreign agent for Chinese intelligence

Former Singapore official Bilahari Kausikan joined online discussions on the topic, saying ‘one fool like this can get all Singaporeans suspected’

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People sit near the Merlion statue in Singapore. After Jun Wei Yeo, pleaded guilty in the US to working for Chinese intelligence, Singaporeans have taken to social media to discuss the ramifications for the city state. Photo: AFP

Published: 7:46pm, 25 Jul 2020Updated: 6:32pm, 26 Jul 2020

News of a Singaporean man being charged in the US for spying for Chinese intelligence was widely discussed on social media among the city state’s residents on Saturday, with concerns centring on whether it would affect the city state’s reputation.

Jun Wei Yeo, 39, also known as Dickson Yeo, on Friday pleaded guilty in Washington to one count of operating illegally as a foreign agent for the Chinese government and obtaining non-public information from the United States.

Bilahari Kausikan, the former permanent secretary of Singapore’s foreign affairs ministry, weighed in on discussions on Facebook, sharing a speech he had given two years ago with his observations on how the Chinese conducted “public diplomacy in the Asia-Pacific”.

In an earlier post about the charges levied against Yeo, he said “one fool like this can get all Singaporeans suspected”.

People cross a street in Singapore, as online discussions took place about a citizen charged with spying for China in the US. Photo: AFP

Bilahari also pointed out in his Facebook post that Yeo studied at the National University of Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP).

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