Journalist Who Worked as Chinese Intelligence Agent Sentenced in USA

Thomas Weir Pauken II, a 51-year-old journalist, was sentenced in the USA to two years in federal prison for working on behalf of the Chinese government.

This was reported by the U.S. Department of Justice.

After serving his sentence, he will remain under supervision for another three years and will be prohibited from leaving the United States.

According to the investigation, from at least 2019 through February 2026, Pauken carried out tasks for individuals he believed to be representatives of the Chinese government. One of his handlers was a woman using the alias “Katie,” who was linked to the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS).

Pauken was tasked with identifying and recruiting potential informants in the U.S., arranging meetings with them, providing secure communication devices, and collecting information for subsequent transmission to the Chinese side.

He also prepared analytical reports for the Chinese side. According to the case file, “Katie” claimed that some of these reports were allegedly forwarded to the Chinese leadership, specifically to Xi Jinping.

Pauken received at least $100,000 for carrying out these tasks. The Chinese side also paid for his trips from China to the U.S. to meet with potential sources of information.

In addition to “Katie,” Pauken collaborated with two other individuals in China, known to him as “Richard” and “William.” He also sold intelligence reports to a group of Chinese clients in Wuhan who were interested in American technology and the U.S. Department of Justice. According to U.S. authorities, these clients were also looking for an expert capable of assisting them in conducting cyberespionage operations.

Pauken lived in China for a long time. He moved there in 2010 and worked in the Chinese media, including the state-run television network CCTV. Starting in 2024, he served as an editor at the state-run Xinhua News Agency, and as a commentator and author, he also used the pseudonym Tom McGregor.

Pauken was arrested by U.S. law enforcement officials upon his return to the United States. He pleaded guilty to acting as an agent of a foreign government without notifying U.S. authorities as required by law.

The U.S. Department of Justice stated that Pauken exploited his ability to freely enter the country as a U.S. citizen to support operations of China’s Ministry of State Security, recruit potential agents, and collect confidential information.

China continues to expand its intelligence capabilities: according to sources within the U.S. administration, the Chinese state-owned shipping company COSCO may have used covert equipment on its commercial vessels to collect data for Beijing.