China has handed down a uncommon dying sentence to a former state company worker for leaking categorized info to international intelligence businesses.
Beijing’s Ministry of State Safety mentioned in a press release on Wednesday that the person, recognized solely by the surname Zhang, had been recruited after he had left his place, wherein he had entry to “a lot of state secrets and techniques”.
The assertion mentioned Zhang had been a member of the “core confidential personnel 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 international spy intelligence businesses, significantly endangering China’s nationwide safety”, it continued.
Zhang was reportedly lured abroad with guarantees of “experiencing unique customs” and, as soon as there, started cooperating as a double agent. A international spy surnamed Li pressured him to signal a cooperation settlement and seized Zhang’s USB work flash drive and private belongings, the ministry mentioned.
“Zhang, who was weak in character and couldn’t resist the temptation of cash, grew to become a ‘puppet’ managed and utilized by the opposite get together,” the assertion continued.
Intensifying focus
It was not specified which international company was concerned within the case. A colleague of Zhang, surnamed Zhu, was sentenced to 6 years in jail for helping him. The ministry supplied no particulars on the timing of the execution.
The case highlights China’s intensifying concentrate on nationwide safety below President Xi Jinping, who has ramped up warnings about international powers allegedly concentrating on Chinese language residents.
Revised anti-espionage laws handed this yr prolonged the definition of espionage to embody any info linked to nationwide safety, not solely state secrets and techniques.
China and Western powers have lengthy traded accusations of spying however solely not too long ago began to reveal 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 yr, a Beijing court docket handed Australian author Yang Hengjun a suspended dying sentence on espionage fees, a call the Australian authorities described as “harrowing”.
In August, United States prosecutors charged a New York resident who took half within the Chinese language pro-democracy motion that resulted within the 1989 Tiananmen Sq. crackdown with spying for China.
The US Central Intelligence Company final month posted directions in Chinese language on social media on the right way to securely contact the company.
