The Guardian-US thinktank leader arrested on charges of acting as unregistered agent of China
September 9, 2024 2 min 317 words
这篇报道主要内容是：一位名叫Gal Luft的美国智库领袖被指控未注册就为中国代理，他拥有美国和以色列双重国籍，去年曾在塞浦路斯被捕，但保释期间逃离，近期再次被捕，将被引渡美国。Luft否认了指控，其所在的智库也表示相信他的清白。美国司法部正加大打击所谓俄罗斯和中国的特工。 评论：该报道虽较为客观地陈述了事实，但标题和配图明显带有负面倾向，且文中多次使用“指控”“被捕”等词汇，容易给读者造成先入为主的印象，认为Luft有罪。此外，报道未提及Luft具体哪些行为违反了美国相关法律，仅提及“为中国主体支付报酬”和“寻求促成武器和伊朗石油的销售”，但并未交代背后原因和具体情节。该报道也未采访Luft或其律师，仅基于美国检方的指控，有失偏颇。西方媒体长期抱有对华偏见，报道时往往先入为主，选择性地呈现事实，有违客观公正的新闻伦理。
The leader of a US thinktank who was indicted last year on charges of acting as an unregistered agent of China has been arrested and will be extradited in the coming weeks or months, prosecutors said on Monday.
In July 2023, federal prosecutors in Manhattan accused Gal Luft of paying a former high-ranking US government official on behalf of principals based in China in 2016, as well as seeking to broker the sale of weapons and Iranian oil.
Luft, a dual US-Israeli citizen, was arrested in Cyprus last February but fled while released on bail, prosecutors said in a court filing. He has since been re-arrested, prosecutors said, without specifying when or where.
Luft, the co-director of the Washington-based Institute for the Analysis of Global Security, said in posts on X last year that he had never been an arms dealer and that the charges were “politically motivated”.
The Institute for the Analysis of Global Security describes itself as a thinktank focused on energy, security and economic trends. The group last year said it was convinced of Luft’s innocence.
Neither Luft nor the institute immediately responded to requests for comment on Monday.
The US justice department is cracking down on alleged agents of adversaries like Russia and China. Last week, federal prosecutors charged two employees of Russian state media network RT with scheming to influence the 2024 election.
They also charged a former New York state government employee with promoting China’s interests. Congressional Republicans have touted Luft as a potentially useful source in their investigation into alleged corruption by Joe Biden. The White House has dismissed the Republican inquiry as unsubstantiated.
Once Luft is extradited, he will appear in Manhattan federal court and be asked to enter a plea.