China claims to have found yet another US espionage case

• China claims to have found yet another US espionage case.
• This case underscores China’s increased focus on national security.
• The name of the U.S. university was not disclosed in the statement or media report.

China’s leading intelligence agency announced on Sunday that a Chinese national employed by a defense institute stands accused of spying for the United States, and his case has been handed over to a court in Chengdu, a city in the southwest of the country, for trial.

This case underscores China’s increased focus on national security, the expansion of its anti-spying legislation, and its crackdown on domestic corruption.

According to a report by China’s state broadcaster CCTV, the individual, identified by the surname Hou, had been working at an undisclosed defense institute.

He was sent to a U.S. university as a visiting scholar, where he was allegedly coerced into divulging Chinese state secrets in 2013.

The official statement by China’s Ministry of State Security, released on its WeChat social media account, emphasized that “espionage activities go hand in hand with deception, temptation, and conspiracy.”

The name of the U.S. university was not disclosed in the statement or media report.

CCTV’s report suggested that a U.S. professor with close ties to Hou introduced him to an individual claiming to be an employee of a consulting company.

However, this person was allegedly an American “intelligence officer” who was using the consulting firm as a cover.

Over the following months, as their relationship developed, the intelligence officer allegedly lured Hou into becoming a consulting expert for “his company,” promising payment ranging from $600 to $700 for each service he provided.

Several months later, while Hou’s wife and son were in the U.S., the American reportedly revealed his true identity and proposed a change in the terms of their cooperation. Fearing for his family’s safety, Hou is said to have agreed to the new terms.

Hou allegedly disclosed highly classified information during hour-long sessions and received $1,000 in compensation for each meeting under this arrangement.

This collaboration continued even after Hou returned to China in 2014. According to CCTV, he would meet with U.S. intelligence personnel during international conferences and voluntarily provide intelligence related to national defense and the military industry.

Following investigations by the Chinese government, Hou was detained in July 2021 and charged with suspicion of espionage.

China has apprehended and detained numerous Chinese and foreign individuals on suspicion of espionage, causing concerns in the U.S. about China’s robust counter-espionage efforts in recent years.

Notably, China’s intelligence agency recently disclosed new details about a U.S. citizen who had been sentenced to life in prison for espionage earlier this year.

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