BEIJING: A Chinese military trading company executive has been arrested for allegedly leaking sensitive defence information to intelligence agencies from two countries, China’s top spy and anti-espionage agency said on Monday.
Public disclosures involving a Chinese national recruited simultaneously by multiple separate foreign intelligence agencies are extremely rare, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported.
Espionage, especially relating to military secrets in China, attracts the death penalty.
The Ministry of State Security on Monday outlined the case of the suspect, identified only by his surname Zhang, in an article published on an official social media account.
The report did not name the two foreign countries involved, referring to them only as “Country A” and “Country B”. It also did not name the Chinese company or provide an exact timeline for the case.
According to the ministry, Zhang was fluent in an unknown number of foreign languages after years of studying abroad. He returned to China and was highly regarded by his employer, frequently handling international business for the arms-trading firm.
The ministry said Zhang was first recruited by a foreign spy agency “several years ago” at a diplomatic reception, where a diplomat from Country A named “Lucas” exchanged contact information with him.
Months later, Lucas asked Zhang to translate a few pages of technical documents for several hundred US dollars. Subsequently, the translation requests became more frequent and lucrative, and Lucas began seeking sensitive details regarding China’s military imports and the division of labour among Chinese arms-trading firms.
Zhang continued cooperating even after realising Lucas was likely an intelligence officer, and over time, handed over verbal briefings and physical contracts, collecting tens of thousands of dollars in return, the report said.
While enmeshed with Country A, Zhang was simultaneously targeted by intelligence operatives from Country B during an overseas business trip.
An embassy official from Country B introduced him to his assistant "Sarah", who built a close personal relationship with Zhang.
She soon revealed her identity as a foreign intelligence agent and asked Zhang to provide sensitive information.
Aside from promising lucrative financial rewards, Sarah told Zhang that Country B would extract him if he were exposed, persuading Zhang to furnish confidential documents on Chinese weaponry.
The ministry said it uncovered Zhang’s connections after an investigation and arrested him. Zhang confessed to all charges, and his case is now being investigated further.
“This day has finally come. It is too late to regret,” Zhang was quoted as saying to investigators during interrogation.
Last year, a Chinese engineer from a research institute was sentenced to death for selling classified material to foreign spy agencies.