Newly obtained records show that Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration reportedly continued engaging with officials tied to the Chinese government months after firing a top aide accused of secretly advancing Beijing’s interests inside state government.
Emails obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation reveal that Hochul’s office discussed welcoming a government delegation from China’s Henan Province just months after terminating former aide Linda Sun, who federal prosecutors accused of acting as an undisclosed agent of the People’s Republic of China. Henan Province featured prominently in Sun’s criminal case, making the renewed outreach particularly notable.
In one message, an aide to Hochul wrote that the governor was “happy to hear from” a Henan official who was seeking renewed engagement with New York. The correspondence suggests a continued pattern of interaction with Chinese government representatives even as federal authorities have repeatedly warned that Beijing actively targets state and local officials to advance its political agenda.
Sun and her husband, Chris Hu, were arrested in September 2024. Prosecutors alleged that Sun used her influence in New York state government to covertly promote the Chinese Communist Party’s interests, including arranging a 2018 Henan Province delegation at the request of Chinese officials.
They also accused her of fraudulently obtaining invitation letters that purported to come from the executive chamber, some allegedly bearing forged signatures from Hochul when she was lieutenant governor.
A federal judge declared a mistrial in December after a Brooklyn jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict. Even so, the trial surfaced damaging details, including text messages in which Sun boasted to a Chinese consular official that Hochul was “much more obedient” than former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. In another message, Sun claimed, “The deputy governor listens to me more than the governor does.”
Although Sun was fired in March 2023, emails show the Hochul administration continued discussions with Chinese officials later that year. In July 2023, the governor’s office considered a proposed visit from a six-member Henan delegation led by He Jinping, vice chairman of the standing committee of the Henan People’s Congress. The stated goal was to deepen “friendly relations” and expand cooperation in areas including trade, finance, higher education, culture and tourism.
Then–Assistant Secretary for Executive Operations Greg Lorjuste responded that Hochul was “happy to hear from” the Henan official and appreciated the outreach, noting that her participation would be confirmed later. The Henan official replied by recalling the “great privilege” of meeting Hochul during the 2018 visit organized while Sun was in office.
Much of the follow-up correspondence was handled by Xiaojiang “Elaine” Fan, who replaced Sun as director of Asian affairs in 2021. Fan has extensive family ties to Chinese state media and the CCP’s propaganda apparatus. Her grandfather, Fan Changjiang, was editor-in-chief of Xinhua News Agency, while her father, Fan Dongsheng, led China Press, which the State Department designated in 2020 as a PRC-controlled propaganda outlet.
During her time in the Hochul administration, Fan attended events hosted by the Chinese Consulate in New York and organizations linked to the United Front Work Department, which the House Select Committee on the CCP describes as a primary vehicle for Chinese political influence and intelligence operations abroad.
There is no public record indicating the Henan delegation ultimately visited New York, and the emails do not explain why the plans stalled. Hochul’s office did not respond to multiple requests for comment, nor did Fan, who later left to work on Scott Stringer’s mayoral campaign.
The administration maintains it was unaware of Sun’s alleged misconduct and acted swiftly once evidence emerged. Still, critics say the continued engagement with Chinese officials after her firing is troubling given longstanding federal warnings. In a 2022 bulletin, the National Counterintelligence and Security Center cautioned that Beijing uses multiple channels to influence state and local governments.
Republican state Sen. Jake Ashby said prosecutors are right to pursue a retrial, calling Sun’s alleged conduct “brazen” and “blatantly corrupt,” as questions continue to swirl about the full extent of the Hochul administration’s interactions with Chinese government-linked entities.
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