China’s Consul General in New York, Huang Ping, has left his position as scheduled after completing his term last month, the U.S. State Department confirmed on Wednesday. This came hours after New York Governor Kathy Hochul said she requested his expulsion following the arrest of one of her former aides for secretly acting as a Chinese agent.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters, "Consul General Huang Ping was not expelled."

"Our understanding is that the consul general reached the end of a regular scheduled rotation in August, and so rotated out of the position, but was not expelled," Miller explained.

He added, “But of course, when it comes to the status of particular employees of a foreign mission, I would refer you to the foreign country to speak to it. But there was no expulsion action.”

China's embassy in Washington has not yet responded to requests for comment on Huang Ping’s status.

Earlier on Wednesday, Governor Hochul said she had spoken with a high-ranking State Department official at the request of Secretary of State Antony Blinken, asking for the expulsion of the consul general. "And I've been informed that the consul general is no longer in the New York mission," Hochul said during an event.

Miller later clarified that Hochul had spoken with Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell.

When asked if she had been interviewed by investigators, including the FBI, Hochul responded, "They asked me one question." She added, "I'm not able to talk about it but it had something to do with identifying whether or not something was my signature and that was it."

Linda Sun, a former aide to Hochul, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with acting as a secret agent of the Chinese government, allegedly receiving millions of dollars in compensation and gifts. Sun and her husband, Chris Hu, pleaded not guilty to the charges in a Brooklyn court.

Prosecutors said Sun blocked meetings between New York officials and Taiwanese representatives and tried to arrange for a high-level New York official to visit China. In return, Hu allegedly received millions of dollars for his business dealings in China. They reportedly used the money to buy a 2024 Ferrari and properties in New York and Honolulu worth around $6 million.

Hochul is not accused of any wrongdoing, and her office fired Sun in March 2023 after discovering misconduct and reporting it to authorities. Her office has cooperated with law enforcement throughout the investigation.

Huang Ping has served as Consul General since November 2018 and previously held diplomatic posts in Zimbabwe, Washington, and Chicago.

Image source: ANI