An autobiography by a Chinese intelligence-linked businessman claims years-long efforts to influence American officials, including allegations that a retired three-star U.S. general discussed a scheme to assert Chinese sovereignty over disputed Japanese islands—claims the general denies.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
A Chinese intelligence official’s autobiography describes an extensive campaign to cultivate relationships with influential Americans, culminating in allegations that a retired three-star U.S. Army general discussed plans to help China assert control over strategically sensitive territory, according to a Daily Caller News Foundation investigation.
The book, New Circle, written in Chinese by Chinese-American businessman Eugene Ji, claims Ji developed a long-standing professional and personal relationship with retired Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré that included meetings with senior Chinese officials, expensive gifts, and discussions about geopolitical projects favorable to Beijing. Ji owns two golf courses near Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, according to reporting by the Daily Caller News Foundation and related Daily Caller coverage.
[Image created by DCNF with “New Circle” and Jinan ACFIC arm photos]
According to translations of New Circle, Ji alleges that he and Honoré promoted a $500 million proposal aimed at asserting Chinese control over Japan-administered Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea. The plan allegedly involved constructing prefabricated facilities on the uninhabited islands and using commercial activity and tourism to establish a Chinese presence without formal military action.
“When I asked his opinion on the matter of the [Senkaku Islands], the general said those few small islands are of course Chinese territory — why keep talking without acting?” Ji wrote, according to a translation of the autobiography. “No need to consult Japan. If pigs can be raised on the islands, set up a pig farm. If tourism is possible, build dozens of houses.”
Honoré, who retired from the Army in 2008 and later coordinated military relief after Hurricane Katrina and led a security review task force for then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi following the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, denied the allegations. He told the DCNF that Ji is “full of shit,” and said he never agreed to or supported any plan involving the Senkaku Islands. While he acknowledged knowing Ji and appearing in photos included in New Circle and in Chinese government announcements, Honoré said he was never an official adviser and received no compensation.
“I did meet with them, but I had no agreement with them, and was no kind of official advisor,” Honoré said. “I’ve never gotten anything out of it, never been paid anything, and it’s mostly cost me time as a courtesy to Eugene.”
Ji’s autobiography claims Honoré served as a “U.S. affairs advisor” for the G2 Club, an organization founded by Ji that includes business and government figures from China and the United States, with offices in both countries. Translations of New Circle cite Ji’s own description of the group and its activities, including hosting events involving Chinese military personnel.
Ji has held multiple Chinese government positions, including roles linked to the United Front Work Department, an arm of the Chinese Communist Party involved in overseas influence operations, according to translations of New Circle and related documentation cited by the DCNF. Ji did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
L.J. Eads, a former Air Force intelligence analyst who reviewed portions of the autobiography, said the allegations raise counterintelligence concerns. “When a foreign political influence system is able to shape behavior, decisions, or access among generals and politicians through informal business and social channels, that crosses from engagement into a national security vulnerability,” Eads said.
The book also describes alleged efforts to involve Chinese military officers in visits to U.S. facilities and social events. Ji wrote that the G2 Club organized gatherings where Chinese officers played golf with U.S. military personnel and toured sites including a B-52 bomber training base. A spokesperson for Barksdale Air Force Base said the installation does not comment on specific alleged interactions or intelligence matters.
[Image created by the DCNF with screenshots from StoneBridge, Olde Oaks, Regrid and Canva]
Honoré rejected claims that he participated in such events. “It’s all fabricated,” he said, adding, “I hate golf. I live on a golf course. I’ve been on it one time since 2010.”
The autobiography further alleges that Ji gave Honoré gifts, including Chinese-made LED lighting installed in his home and bottles of Moutai, a high-end Chinese liquor. Ji wrote that he procured authentic Moutai directly from the distillery to avoid counterfeits and that Honoré shared the liquor with other generals in Washington. Honoré said he did not recall receiving expensive liquor and said Ji gave him LED lights and a globe, which he described as commercially available.
Business records cited by the DCNF indicate that the LED company referenced in New Circle shares contact information and board members with another Chinese lighting firm owned by Ji, raising questions about undisclosed commercial ties. Eads said such activities go beyond normal social interaction. “When a foreign political intermediary supplies luxury goods and installs electronic systems inside the home of a senior U.S. military official without clear disclosure or vetting, that is not just a social courtesy,” he said. “It is a counterintelligence concern.”
China expert Gordon Chang said that the allegations underscore broader risks around Chinese influence near U.S. military installations. “The Air Force in particular and the Pentagon in general need to stop being oblivious,” Chang said. “We’ve known about China’s infiltration of areas around military bases and done little or nothing about it.”
The Senkaku Islands, administered by Japan but claimed by China, are considered strategically significant to U.S. interests in the Indo-Pacific, according to the Congressional Research Service. Ji’s autobiography suggests the plan never progressed beyond discussions with potential Chinese partners, and Honoré said no such scheme ever existed.
“All that’s lies,” Honoré said.
Original article
Comments