A newly surfaced autobiography by a Chinese intelligence-linked figure is now reportedly drawing renewed attention to Beijing’s long-running efforts to cultivate influence inside the United States, including extraordinary allegations involving a retired three-star U.S. general and a scheme to advance Chinese territorial claims.
A Daily Caller News Foundation investigation examined translations of Chinese government announcements and a 2014 Chinese-language autobiography titled New Circle, written by Chinese-American businessman Eugene Ji. The book describes decades of outreach to American political and military figures and culminates in claims of a plan, allegedly discussed with retired Army Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré, to help China assert control over Japan’s Senkaku Islands. Honoré has flatly denied the allegations.
Ji, who owns two golf courses near Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, details what he describes as a long professional and personal relationship with Honoré that included meetings with senior Chinese officials and the exchange of gifts. Among the most alarming claims, Ji wrote that the two discussed organizing visits by Chinese military officers to a U.S. nuclear base and repeatedly floated a $500 million plan to use weaponized migration and commercial development to assert Chinese sovereignty over the Senkaku Islands.
According to Ji’s account, Honoré allegedly dismissed Japanese claims to the islands and encouraged immediate action. Ji claimed the plan involved building prefabricated housing and tourist facilities, raising the Chinese flag, and controlling access through visa requirements. Honoré told the DCNF that Ji’s claims are false and described them as fabrication, while acknowledging he had met Ji socially and professionally.
Honoré retired from the Army in 2008 and later coordinated military relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina. He also led a security review task force for then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi following the January 6 Capitol riot. Ji’s book claims Honoré served as a U.S. affairs adviser for Ji’s organization, the G2 Club, a group of Chinese and American business and government figures with offices in both countries. Honoré denied holding any advisory role or receiving payment, saying his interactions were informal and largely a courtesy.
Ji’s background has heightened concerns. He has held multiple Chinese government-linked positions, including work connected to the United Front Work Department, an arm of the Chinese Communist Party known for influence and intelligence operations. Former Air Force intelligence analyst L.J. Eads claimed that the memoir is troubling because it openly describes influencing senior U.S. military officers and elected officials through informal business and social channels, which he said crosses into a national security vulnerability.
The autobiography also describes lavish gift-giving, including expensive bottles of Moutai, China’s most prized liquor, and the installation of Chinese-made LED lighting throughout Honoré’s home. Ji wrote that he personally sourced the liquor from trusted contacts in China and provided it to Honoré, claims the general disputes. Honoré acknowledged receiving LED lights and a globe but denied receiving cases of expensive alcohol or requesting introductions to U.S. military bases.
Business records reviewed by the DCNF show connections between Ji and Chinese LED manufacturers described in the book, raising additional questions about the nature of the relationship. Eads said providing luxury goods and installing electronic systems in the home of a senior U.S. military official without clear disclosure is a counterintelligence concern, not a social courtesy.
The book also claims Ji and Honoré discussed the alleged Senkaku scheme while golfing and organized a “Sino-U.S. Generals’ Friendly Golf Tournament,” which Ji said involved Chinese military personnel visiting U.S. bases and historical sites. Honoré rejected those claims outright, saying he dislikes golf and calling the story fabricated.
A spokesperson for Barksdale Air Force Base declined to confirm or deny the claims, citing policy against discussing intelligence or alleged interactions involving individuals. China expert Gordon Chang has said that the U.S. military is not doing enough to protect bases and personnel from Chinese influence operations, warning that Beijing views itself as being in a state of conflict with the United States.
While it remains unclear how far Ji’s alleged schemes progressed, the autobiography and accompanying records have raised serious questions about how aggressively China seeks access to influential Americans — and how vulnerable U.S. institutions may be to such efforts.
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