A former Central Intelligence Agency officer has been arrested as he was charged with spying for China.

Alexander Yuk Ching Ma, 67 is accused of spying with a relative, who also worked with CIA, to spy for China. US justice department said that he was arrested on Friday, and charged.

According to the international news agency, he was charged with exposing classified national defense information to Chinese intelligence officials.

Mr. Ma is likely to appear before the court on Tuesday and faces life imprisonment if convicted.

According to the international news agency, Mr. Ma is a naturalized US citizen born in Hong Kong. He started serving the CIA in 1982. Prosecutors claim that he left the CIA seven years later and worked in the Chinese city of Shanghai. After that, he moved to Hawaii in 2001.

Mr. Ma and his relative have been accused of spying for China over the course of decades. The ex-CIA officers are accused of sharing information “about the CIA’s personnel, operations, and methods of concealing communications” with the Chinese intelligence service.