Mayor Eric Adams may be implicated in the China-related corruption case

2024-10-15 18:56:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Eric Adams, New York's embattled mayor, could be embroiled in a controversy over alleged ties to China after the FBI raided the home of one of his top aides.

Winnie Greco, who resigned as New York's director of Asian Affairs on Monday, is among a group of city officials who have been investigated over allegations of corruption.

Prosecutors are also investigating allegations of illegal Chinese influence in the US after a former aide to two New York governors was charged last month with acting as an illegal agent of the Chinese government.

According to The New York Times, Ms. Greco has been instrumental in promoting ties with Beijing, accompanying Mr. Adams on several trips to China over the past decade.

She allegedly persuaded Mr. Adams to avoid a meeting with Taiwanese officials when he was the Brooklyn precinct chairman.

Relationships can deteriorate

China has emerged as a key foreign policy election issue, with Donald Trump accusing Democrats of being "soft" on the Asian giant. However, some experts have suggested that Sino-American relations will deteriorate if Kamala Harris wins in November.

In 2022, accompanied by Mrs. Greco, Mr. Adams attended an event for New York's Chinese community hosted by Jimmy Lu, a donor to the mayor's campaign.

At the dinner, Mr. Lu, head of the America Changle Association - a Chinese community group - boasted in Mandarin about Beijing's establishment of a government police station in lower Manhattan.

Mayor Eric Adams may be implicated in the China-related corruption case

Mr. Lu said the outpost would help "implement the policy of the mainland government that will benefit overseas Chinese," according to The New York Times.

That was not a view shared by federal authorities, who believe the outpost is part of a global network used by Beijing to spy on dissidents, according to Justice Department documents.

Mr. Lu's brother, Harry, has been arrested after acting as an unregistered agent for the Chinese government. It is not clear if any charges have been filed against him.

He was accused of acting as an unregistered agent of the Chinese government, according to The New York Times.

We remember that Eric Adams, the first mayor of New York who is facing federal charges, is a friend of the mayor of Tirana, Erion Veliaj.

Like his friend, Veliaj is also under investigation for corruption and affairs.