CHENGDU, China: In a significant development, China’s top spy agency has said that a Chinese citizen, formerly associated with a defence institute, stands accused of espionage on behalf of the United States.
The case has been transferred to a court in Chengdu, located in southwestern China, for trial. This incident underscores Beijing’s unwavering commitment to national security, the implementation of stringent anti-spying legislation, and the crackdown on domestic corruption.
The accused, identified as a man surnamed Hou, had been employed at an undisclosed defence institute. In 2013, he was sent to a US university as a visiting scholar, where he allegedly succumbed to pressures and disclosed Chinese state secrets to American counterparts.
China’s Ministry of State Security issued a statement via its WeChat social media account, emphasizing the interconnectedness of espionage activities with deception, temptation, and conspiracy.
The identity of the US university was not disclosed in the statement or related media reports. According to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, a U.S. professor closely associated with Hou introduced him to an individual claiming to work for a consulting company. However, this individual was, in fact, an American “intelligence officer” using the consulting firm as a cover.
Over subsequent months, as their relationship deepened, the intelligence officer allegedly persuaded Hou to become a consulting expert at “his company,” enticing him with payments ranging from $600 to $700 per engagement for his services.
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Several months later, while Hou’s wife and son were in the United States, the American contact disclosed his true intentions and proposed an altered mode of cooperation. Concerned for his family’s safety, Hou reportedly agreed to the proposed terms.
Under the revised arrangement, Hou engaged in hour-long sessions, during which he was coerced into revealing highly classified secrets in exchange for $1,000 as compensation.
Hou’s cooperation with U.S. intelligence persisted even after his return to China in 2014. He maintained connections with American intelligence officers while attending international conferences and proactively provided intelligence information pertaining to national defence and the military industry.
Following investigations conducted by the Chinese government, Hou was apprehended in July 2021 and subsequently charged on suspicion of espionage.
In recent years, China has apprehended and detained numerous Chinese and foreign nationals suspected of espionage, a trend that has raised concerns within the United States regarding China’s counter-espionage initiatives. Notably, China’s spy agency recently disclosed additional details about a U.S. citizen who was sentenced to life imprisonment for espionage earlier this year.
