Former state company worker convicted of leaking categorised data to overseas intelligence businesses.
China has handed down a uncommon loss of life sentence to a former state company worker for leaking categorised data to overseas intelligence businesses.
Beijing’s Ministry of State Safety mentioned in an announcement on Wednesday that the person, recognized solely by the surname Zhang, had been recruited after leaving his place, the place he had entry to “numerous state secrets and techniques.” .
The assertion mentioned Zhang had been a member of the “central confidential workers of a state company” with out specifying which company had employed him.
He leaked a “massive variety of top-secret and confidential state secrets and techniques to overseas spy intelligence businesses, critically endangering China’s nationwide safety,” he continued.
Zhang was reportedly lured overseas with guarantees to “expertise unique customs” and, as soon as there, started cooperating as a double agent. A overseas spy surnamed Li pressured him to signal a cooperation settlement and seized his work USB flash drive and his private belongings, the ministry mentioned.
“Zhang, who was weak-willed and couldn’t resist the temptation of cash, turned a ‘puppet’ managed and utilized by the opposite celebration,” the assertion continued.
Intensified focus
It was not specified which overseas company was concerned within the case. A colleague of Zhang’s, surnamed Zhu, was sentenced to 6 years in jail for serving to him. The ministry didn’t present particulars on the timing of the execution.
The case highlights China’s growing consideration to nationwide safety underneath President Xi Jinping, who has stepped up warnings about overseas powers allegedly concentrating on Chinese language residents.
Revised anti-espionage laws handed this 12 months expanded the definition of espionage to cowl any data linked to nationwide safety, not simply state secrets and techniques.
China and Western powers have lengthy traded accusations of espionage, however solely not too long ago started to disclose particulars of alleged particular person circumstances.
In June, China accused Britain’s MI6 of recruiting a pair who labored for the central authorities. Earlier this 12 months, a Beijing court docket sentenced Australian author Yang Hengjun to a suspended loss of life sentence on espionage prices, a call the Australian authorities described as “heartbreaking.”
In August, U.S. prosecutors charged a New York resident who participated within the Chinese language pro-democracy motion that led to the 1989 Tiananmen Sq. crackdown with espionage for China.
Final month, the US Central Intelligence Company posted directions in Chinese language on social media on learn how to safely contact the company.
