The US judicial authorities charged an American citizen and 4 Chinese intelligence officers with spying on prominent opponents of the Chinese regime, human rights leaders and democracy activists residing in the United States.

According to a statement by the New York Public Prosecution Office, the five persons conspired to silence Chinese dissidents, pro-democracy activists, and prominent human rights activists.

The indictment says Wang Shujun, of Queens, New York, used his status within the Chinese expatriate communities, dissidents and dissidents to collect information about their activities on behalf of China's Ministry of State Security.

The 73-year-old American, Shujun Wang, a resident of New York of Chinese descent, was arrested on March 16 on suspicion of being an agent of the Chinese government, and he will appear in court at a later date, while the four accused Chinese officers are still on the run, according to the Ministry of Justice.

"The alleged accusations made by the United States are sheer slander," the Chinese Embassy in Washington said in a written statement sent to Reuters.

"We urge the US side to conduct a fair and legal investigation, properly handle relevant cases, and protect the legal rights of relevant Chinese citizens," she added.

The indictment added that Wang provided information to the Chinese Ministry of State Security since at least 2011, indicating that its officials directed him to target pro-democracy activists from Hong Kong, defenders of Taiwan independence, Uyghur issues, and Tibetan activists.