Story highlights U.S. officials charged Wednesday that the increase suggests China lacks concern for U.S. laws

U.S. diplomats previously warned China to stop using covert law enforcement agents on U.S. soil

Washington (CNN) The number of Chinese government secret agents in the U.S. has spiked in the last several months and is now in the double digits, according to U.S. officials.

The agents are from the Ministry of Public Security, China's security service. U.S. officials charged Wednesday that the increase suggests China lacks concern for U.S. laws.

It would also not be surprising if there are Chinese law enforcement agents on the ground of whom the U.S. is not aware, officials said.

The agents enter the U.S. on tourist and business visas and do not report their presence to U.S. authorities as required by law, according to U.S. authorities. Placing a law enforcement official here without notifying American authorities is criminal, they said.

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