Alleged Chinese Surveillance Operation Targeted U.S. Figure Skater Alysa Liu and Her Father

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 08:08:00 +0200

The article details a complex alleged Chinese government-linked surveillance operation targeting Arthur Liu, a Chinese dissident living in the United States, and his daughter, Olympic figure skater Alysa Liu. In November 2021, Matthew Ziburis, a U.S. military veteran, conducted surveillance on the Liu family in California while posing as a U.S. Olympic Committee official to obtain sensitive personal information. Authorities later revealed that Ziburis was allegedly acting under instructions passed through Frank Liu, a New York-based community figure with ties to Chinese networks, who in turn was reportedly directed by an individual linked to the Chinese government.

The case is part of a broader pattern described by U.S. officials and researchers as transnational repression, where China seeks to monitor, intimidate, or silence dissidents abroad. Arthur Liu had previously fled China after participating in the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, making him a target of interest decades later.