The newspaper, citing lawyers and investigators, said federal authorities have new evidence suggesting that China was trying to enhance the political standing of those passing along the contributions to Democratic causes in order to give them clout in arguing for favorable trade and technology policies. China appears to have been following the example of American corporations, which use donations to raise the profile of Washington lobbyists, a senior Justice Department official told the Times under the condition of anonymity.
American law prohibits foreign governments from making campaign contributions.
Investigators originally believed China was trying to influence the outcome of elections, including President Clinton's re-election campaign.