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German national Jian G, who worked for AfD MEP Maximilian Krah, was arrested by Saxony State criminal police in Dresden and had his residences searched, the prosecutor’s office said early Tuesday. The aide was later suspended by the European Parliament, a spokesman for the body told CNN. Prosecutors said he passed on information about “negotiations and decisions in the European Parliament” to China in January. The far-right AfD party has nine seats in the European Parliament, and is competing alongside Germany’s traditional parties in the European elections in June. The Federal Prosecutor’s Office said the homes and workplace of the trio were searched in Düsseldorf and Bad Homburg.

Persons: Jian G, Maximilian Krah, ”, Jens Schlueter, Jian, “, Krah, Nancy Faeser, Thomas R, – Herwig, Ina F, –, Wang Wenbin Organizations: CNN, Prosecutors, International Trade, Security, Defence, Foreign Trade, Federal Prosecutor’s Office, Ministry of State Security, ” Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Crown Prosecution Service Locations: China, Europe, Saxony, Dresden, Germany, United States, Bad Homburg

☆ Germany arrests three suspected of spying for China
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Three German nationals have been arrested on suspicion of working with the Chinese secret service to hand over technologies that could be used for military purposes, German prosecutors said on Monday. The suspects were identified as Herwig F. and Ina F, a married couple who run a company in Dusseldorf, and Thomas R., whom prosecutors described as an agent for an employee of China's Ministry of State Security (MSS). The Chinese contract partner was the MSS employee from whom Thomas R. received his orders, it added. The suspects also purchased a special laser from Germany on behalf of and with payment from the MSS and exported it to China without authorisation, according to the prosecutors. The Chinese embassy in Berlin did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Persons: Herwig, Ina F, Thomas R, Olaf Scholz Organizations: China's Ministry of State Security, Russia Locations: Dusseldorf, Germany, China, Beijing, Europe, Berlin

CNN —Three people in Germany have been arrested under suspicion of spying for China, while two people have been charged in the United Kingdom for espionage offenses. “Allegations suggest the suspects have had ties to a Chinese secret service since before June 2022,” the German prosecutor’s office said in a statement. The couple are accused of buying and exporting a specialized laser to China without authorization, violating European Union regulations. Germany’s justice minister Marco Buschmann congratulated the prosecutor’s office in a post on social media platform X, writing that the arrests highlighted the need to stay vigilant. Separately in the UK, Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) announced charges against two men who allegedly breached the UK’s Official Secrets Act on behalf of China.

Persons: Thomas R, Thomas, Herwig, Ina F, Marco Buschmann, Nick Price Organizations: CNN, Federal Prosecutor’s Office, Foreign Trade, Ministry of State Security, Britain’s, Prosecution Service, CPS, Terrorism, Crown Prosecution Service, Metropolitan Police, ’ Locations: Germany, China, United Kingdom, Westminster, London

☆ Germany Arrests 3 Suspected of Passing Secrets to China
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Christopher F. Schuetze | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Three German citizens who are believed to have gathered sensitive naval data and obtained a high-powered laser on behalf of the Chinese security services were arrested on Monday, prosecutors said, underscoring the fragile nature of the relationship between the two countries. A man identified as Thomas R., in keeping with German privacy rules, acted as an “agent” for the Chinese Ministry of State Security, and engaged two others — a married couple identified as Herwig and Ina F. — who ran an engineering company in Düsseldorf, the authorities said. The arrests come at an awkward time for the German government: Chancellor Olaf Scholz recently spent three days in China as the countries signed several bilateral trade agreements, but Germany is also vigilant to the threat posed by China. “We are aware of the considerable danger posed by Chinese espionage to business, industry and science,” said Nancy Faeser, the German minister of the interior. “We are looking very closely at these risks and threats and have issued clear warnings and raised awareness so that protective measures are increased everywhere,” she added.

Persons: Thomas R, ”, Herwig, Ina F, —, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Nancy Faeser Organizations: Chinese Ministry of State Security Locations: Düsseldorf, China, Germany

☆ China sees foreign threats ‘everywhere’ as powerful spy agency takes center stage
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-21 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

But among the crowds you and I together are protecting national security,” the narrator concludes. Chinese soldiers look at a poster promoting national security in the southwestern city of Beihai on National Security Education Day on April 15, 2024. CFOTO/Future Publishing/Getty ImagesAccording to the MSS, foreign spies are omnipresent and infiltrating everything – from mapping apps to weather stations. But China’s spy agency has gradually stepped out of the shadows as Xi makes national security a key priority. “Shenyin Special Investigation Squad” is a comic series based on real-life counterespionage operations, according to China's spy agency.

Persons: –, “, ”, Xi, Xuezhi Guo, Sheena Chestnut Greitens, Xi Jinping, Greg Baker, Mao Zedong, Greitens, Chen Yixin, Chen, “ Chen, ” Greitens, Xi –, denigrate, Bain, Alex Plavevski, Guo, influencers, China’s, can’t, James Zimmerman, Perkins Coie, Zimmerman, ” Zimmerman Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, National Security Education, “, Ministry of State Security, National Security, Publishing, CIA, National, Education, Capitol, Guilford College, Asia, University of Texas, Getty, Communist Party, FBI, National Security Propaganda, CCTV, Ministry of State, China’s National Security Commission, Group, China Development Forum, Perkins Coie LLP, ”, MSS Locations: China, Hong Kong, Beihai, British, American, Beijing, Austin, AFP, Zhejiang province, Shanghai, New York, overreaching

☆ Biden administration to accuse Chinese hackers of targeting US companies in espionage campaign
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | Evan Perez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The Biden administration is preparing to publicly accuse several Chinese hackers of conducting sweeping hacks against US companies on behalf of China’s civilian intelligence service, three people familiar with the matter told CNN. An announcement identifying the hackers with names and photos is expected as soon as Monday, the sources said. The hackers have been using a Chinese technology company as a front to cover their hacking activity, one of the sources said. The British government is also preparing to accuse the hacking group of targeting UK organizations, the sources said. The cybersecurity industry knows the hacking group as APT31 or Judgement Panda, and researchers have found the hackers targeting everything from US law firms to European industrial organizations to international apparel companies.

Persons: Biden, Christopher Wray, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Wray Organizations: CNN, of State Security, Embassy, The, Microsoft Locations: Washington ,, China, Beijing, Wuhan, Tibet, Hong Kong

The files also revealed a campaign to monitor closely the activities of ethnic minorities in China and online gambling companies. The files included records of apparent correspondence between employees as well as lists of targets and materials that showed off cyberattack tools. The documents came from I-Soon, a Shanghai company with offices in Chengdu. Three cybersecurity experts interviewed by The Times said the documents appeared to be authentic. Taken together, the leaked files offered a look inside the secretive world of China’s state-backed hackers for hire.

Organizations: The Times, Ministry of State Security, United Locations: Asia, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, India, China, Shanghai, Chengdu

☆ Angry Chinese people are using a US embassy social-media page to dodge censors and vent about its slumping economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Advertisement"The US government, please help Chinese stock investors," one person wrote in a repost of the Weibo article, according to CNN. Some commenters used humor and sarcasm to get around the country's strict social media restrictions. China has one of the world's most censored media industries, with digital news and social media use heavily restricted throughout the country. Some social media platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram, are prohibited and the government monitors social media platforms that are allowed, such as Weibo. Meanwhile, top officials have publicly spoken about the importance of elevating the "bright prospects of China's economy," according to the Journal.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, Reuters, Bloomberg, CNN, People's Daily, Facebook, The New York Times, Street Journal, China's Ministry of State Security Locations: Weibo, Africa, China, Hong, Beijing

☆ China is reportedly scrubbing the internet of negative coverage of its economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Reports this week from The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal detail efforts by Chinese authorities to scrub the internet of negative takes on the state of its economy. According to the NYT, The Ministry of State Security said in its official WeChat account that citizens should not believe the "false narratives" about the trajectory of China, and instead should believe in President Xi Jinping's vision. The WSJ similarly reported that some of the nation's top officials have reiterated the importance of promoting the "bright prospects of China's economy." The NYT said tech platform Weibo had restricted dozens of accounts from posting after they had shared bleak economic realities with other users. The platform also warned its users in November, the report said, not to be "maliciously pessimistic" about China's economy.

Persons: Xi, Li Xunlei Organizations: The New York Times, Ministry of State Security, Zhongtai Securities, Weibo Locations: China, Beijing

A woman dressed up as a starving medical student. One woman dressed up as a medical student, holding a begging bowl in her hands. A woman dressed up as a liberal arts student hungry for egg fried rice. Greg Baker/Pool/ReutersTo address these challenges, President Xi Jinping hosted a key financial policy meeting this week to reiterate the need to resolve financial risks in the economy. “Hidden economic and financial risks are still widespread,” the readout said.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, ”, Zhou, Xiao Pan, Yan Ziqi, “, Xi Jinping, Greg Baker, Xi Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, CNN, Global, Stock, Huaan Securities, Service, National People's, of, People, Reuters, Communist Party, Ministry of State Security Locations: China, Hong Kong, China’s, Shanghai, Weibo, Douyin, “, Beijing

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Wednesday he will raise the plight of a detained democracy blogger with Chinese leaders during a state visit to China. Albanese said he had approved a draft letter to the sons of Yang Hengjun, who has been detained in China since 2019. Political Cartoons View All 1227 ImagesThey said they had just last week received the first letter Yang had been allowed to send from detention. Feng said Albanese becoming the first Australian prime minister in seven years to visit China created an opportunity for Yang. They hoped Australian authorities could “achieve a second miracle by saving our father.”Asked about Cheng’s case, Albanese told reporters: “Every case is ... different.”

Persons: Anthony Albanese, Albanese, Yang Hengjun, “, ” Albanese, Yang, ” Yang, Feng Chongyi, Feng, “ It’s, ” Feng, Xi Jinping, Li Qiang, Cheng Lei, Xi, Cheng, Yang’s, ” Organizations: —, China’s Ministry of State Security, China Locations: CANBERRA, Australia, China, Beijing, Shanghai, Indonesia

☆ China is cracking down on weather stations it says are spying for foreign countries
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Hong Kong CNN —China is cracking down on weather stations it says are spying for foreign countries, the latest measure in a broad counter-espionage campaign under leader Xi Jinping amid intensifying geopolitical tensions. Some stations were set up around sensitive sites such as military bases and defense companies to locate altitude and GPS data, the spy agency said. The authorities made the discovery after investigating more than 10 overseas meteorological equipment agents and inspecting more than 3,000 foreign-linked meteorological stations nationwide. “Meteorological data… is an integral part of data security and resource security. It’s closely linked to military, food, and ecological security, climate change, and public interests,” the Ministry of State Security said.

Persons: Xi Jinping, William Burns, “ Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Ministry of State Security, Embassy, Twitter, United, China’s Ministry of State Security, CIA Locations: Hong Kong, China, Beijing, United States, Washington

☆ China says it uncovered another spying case in US
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The case is the latest to underscore Beijing's heightened commitment to national security, its expanded anti-spying laws and crackdown on domestic corruption. He also provided intelligence information in the field of national defense and the military industry on his own initiative, the report said. After investigations by the Chinese government, Hou was detained in July 2021 and charged on suspicion of espionage. In recent years, China has arrested and detained dozens of Chinese and foreign nationals on suspicion of espionage, raising the concerns of the U.S. over its counter-espionage push. Recently, China's spy agency published new details about a U.S. citizen jailed for life for espionage earlier this year.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Hou, Hou's, Bernard Orr, Sonali Paul Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Ministry of State Security, U.S, Thomson Locations: Rights BEIJING, United States, Chengdu, U.S, American, China

☆ China Says It Uncovered Another Spying Case in US
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Persons: Hou, Hou's, Bernard Orr, Sonali Paul Organizations: Ministry of State Security, U.S Locations: BEIJING, United States, Chengdu, U.S, American, China

Tokyo CNN —China has formally arrested a Japanese man who was detained in March, according to officials from Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and the Japanese Embassy in Beijing. The arrest of the Japanese national, who was reportedly an employee of a Tokyo-based pharmaceutical firm, could further rattle foreign businesses in China, which have reported feeling more unsettled this year amid a crackdown on international consulting firms on national security grounds. According to Japanese public broadcaster NHK, the man was an employee of drugmaker Astellas Pharma and was detained in March by Chinese security authorities in Beijing on suspicion of violating the country’s criminal law and anti-espionage law. In May, state security authorities said they had raided several offices of Capvision, an advisory network. The issue has been cited as headache for foreign businesses, some of which were already having trouble convincing workers to relocate to China.

Persons: Hirokazu Matsuno, Japan’s MOFA, Mao Ning, “, ”, Weeks, Bain, — CNN’s Michelle Toh, Sophie Jeong, Mengchen Zhang Organizations: Tokyo CNN, Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Embassy, NHK, drugmaker, Pharma, CNN, Foreign Ministry, Ministry of State Security, Mintz Group, American Chamber of Commerce, China’s Commerce Ministry, State Administration of Foreign Exchange Locations: China, Tokyo, Beijing, MOFA, Shanghai, Hong Kong

The individuals' accounts varied but were consistent in describing heightened scrutiny of overseas travel even after China reopened borders in January. Reuters is reporting these measures and the scope of some post-COVID travel curbs for the first time. NEW LIMITSRestrictions on personal foreign travel have long applied to senior government officials and state executives with access to confidential information. MAPPING CONNECTIONSChinese authorities are also scrutinising personal foreign ties, according to a document seen by Reuters, one of the 10 people who discussed travel curbs and three other state-enterprise workers with knowledge of the matter. Thomas said the travel curbs in particular would have implications for China's interactions with the world.

Persons: Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Xi, Neil Thomas, Thomas, Wang Zhi'an, Engen Tham, Julie Zhu, Kane Wu, Xie Yu, Martin Quin Pollard, David Crawshaw, Vidya Ranganathan Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Asia Society, Center for, State, Information Office, Communist Party, China Construction Bank, China Development Bank, National Council for Social Security Fund, Municipal Eco, Communist, Communist Youth League, Ministry of State Security, U.S . Central Intelligence Agency, CIA, Beijing, Thomson Locations: China, Beijing, Rights SHANGHAI, HONG KONG, Center for China, Washington, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Hong Kong, Singapore, Ningbo, Wenzhou, Japan, Italy

CNN —Australian TV anchor Cheng Lei has been released by China and returned home to her family, Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced Wednesday, more than three years after she was detained on opaque espionage charges. “We are pleased to confirm that Australian citizen Ms Cheng Lei has arrived safely home in Australia and has been reunited with her family,” Albanese said in a statement. Cheng had been on her way to work on the morning of August 13, 2020, when she was taken by China’s Ministry of State Security, according to her partner Nick Coyle. Her release follows the completion of legal process in China, according to the Australian statement. Shortly afterwards, China’s Ministry of State Security said in a statement that Cheng was deported Wednesday after completing her sentence.

Persons: Cheng Lei, Anthony Albanese, Ms Cheng Lei, ” Albanese, “, Cheng, CGTN, Nick Coyle, –, Wang Wenbin, Wang, ” Wang, Coyle, Cheng “, ”, ” “ Organizations: CNN, China’s Ministry of State Security, ”, China’s Foreign, Tullamarine, of Foreign Affairs, Trade Australian, Canberra, Observers, Chinese Foreign Ministry, Sky News Locations: China, Australia, Beijing, Melbourne, Australian, Sky News Australia, FreeChengLei

☆ Australia's new submarines are still 2 decades away from delivery, but the Aussies are already looking out for spies
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Australia is working with the US and UK to build nuclear-powered subs and other military technology. It can be intentional — for example, a foreign intelligence service spreading election conspiracies on social media — or unintentional, as when someone unwittingly shares the foreign intelligence service's social-media posts. Australian officials look at the Collins-class submarine HMAS Collins in September 2021. Those Australian intelligence officials echoed worries that US officials have about foreign efforts to compromise AUKUS. US intelligence officials estimate that Chinese espionage steals US economic secrets worth between $200 billion and $600 billion a year.

Persons: —, Joe Biden, Rishi Sunak, Anthony Albanese, Tayfun, Andrew Shearer, Mike Burgess, Burgess, CPOIS Damian Pawlenko, Azorian, PETER, Stavros Atlamazoglou Organizations: US, Service, Australia, British, Australian, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Australian National Intelligence, of National Intelligence, US Navy, Australian Security Intelligence, ASIO, FBI, Collins, Royal Australian Navy, intel, China Aviation, of State Security, Western, Hellenic Army, 575th Marine Battalion, Army, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins School, International Studies, Boston College Law School Locations: Australia, France, China, Canberra, San Diego, Virginia, North Dakota, Canada , New Zealand, AUKUS, Soviet, Beijing

☆ Huawei wants to go all in on AI in first strategy update in a decade, says Meng Wanzhou
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Meng Wanzhou, Huawei’s rotating chairwoman and chief financial officer, made the announcement in Shanghai during a company event. Huawei’s decision follows a similar move by fellow Chinese tech giant Alibaba (BABA), announced earlier this month, to prioritize AI. Hacking allegationsNews of Huawei’s strategic update came the same day the company was mentioned in allegations lodged by China against the United States. In 2019, Huawei was added to the US “entity list,” which restricts exports to select organizations without a US government license. In recent weeks, Huawei has added to US-China tensions again after launching a new smartphone that represents an apparent technological breakthrough.

Persons: Meng Wanzhou, Meng, “, China —, Ren Zhengfei, Mengchen Zhang Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Huawei, Intelligence, Iran, US Department of Justice, China’s Ministry of State Security, United, US National Security Agency, NSA Locations: China, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Canada, United States

☆ Beijing claims a US citizen jailed for life in China was a decorated spy who worked undetected for decades
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

At the time, authorities provided no details about his case, except that he was detained by state security officers in April 2021. According to a court statement at the time he had been arrested by state security authorities in April 2021. Beijing and Washington have escalated espionage accusations against each other, after the controversy over an alleged Chinese spy balloon shot down by the US further inflamed tensions earlier this year. In its WeChat post, China’s spy agency claimed Leung’s patriotic Chinese persona was a means of gaining access to Chinese intelligence. The latest allegations against Leung from China come the same week an alleged Chinese spying scandal has rocked the heart of British politics.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, John Shing, Wan Leung, Leung, William Burns, “, ”, Tom Tugendhat, Rishi Sunak Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Ministry of State Security, Authorities, CNN, US State Department, CIA, Conservative Party, Sunday, British Locations: Hong Kong, Hong Kong CNN — Beijing, American, China, PRC, Beijing, Washington, Houston, London

☆ China think tank says India is 'sabotaging' G20 for its own agenda
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A man walks past a model of the G20 logo outside a metro station ahead of the G20 Summit in New Delhi, India, September 4, 2023. The think tank accused India of bringing geopolitical "private goods" onto the global stage, which it said would not only help the country to fulfill its responsibility as the host of G20 but also create further problems. India held two earlier G20 meetings in disputed territories -- one in Arunachal Pradesh that China also claims, and another in Kashmir, contested by Pakistan. the think tank said in a commentary published on its Wechat account. Last Sunday, reacting to news that Xi would not attend the G20 summit, U.S. President Biden said he was "disappointed" but would "get to see him".

Persons: Anushree, Xi Jinping, Narendra Modi, Li Qiang, Xi, Biden, Kevin Yao, Kim Coghill Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, Ministry of State Security, Pakistan, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, Rights BEIJING, India's, Arunachal Pradesh, China, Kashmir, U.S, United States, Beijing, Heilongjiang

☆ China to Its People: Spies Are Everywhere, Help Us Catch Them
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( Vivian Wang | More About Vivian Wang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Beijing sees forces bent on weakening it everywhere: embedded in multinational companies, infiltrating social media, circling naïve students. Chinese universities require faculty to take courses on protecting state secrets, even in departments like veterinary medicine. A kindergarten in the eastern city of Tianjin organized a meeting to teach staffers how to “understand and use” China’s anti-espionage law. Its first post: a call for a “whole of society mobilization” against espionage. The country’s economy is facing its worst slowdown in years, but China’s authoritarian leader, Xi Jinping, appears more fixated on national security and preventing threats to the party’s control.

Persons: China’s, Xi Jinping Organizations: China’s Ministry of State Security, Communist Party Locations: Beijing, Tianjin

☆ China is doing everything it can to conceal the true extent of its economic turmoil
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Linette Lopez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

China's economy is turning into a big black blob. This is happening because Xi's China is one that puts ideology before economic growth. Not because the reforms weren't working, but because the China they were creating is not the one Xi wants to see. Even as the main drivers of China's economy stumble, there will be no direct support to help households power through this fragile period. Known unknownsTransparency in China's economic data has always moved the same cycles as its politics.

Persons: —, Xi Jinping, it's, Charlene Chu, Xi, who've, It's, Chu, Fan Zhang, Zhang, Xie Huanchi, thegovernment, Victor Shih, Ministry of State Security —, isn't, Shih, Linette Lopez Organizations: Communist, Autonomous Research, Nike, Starbucks, CCP, National Bureau of Statistics, Custom, J Capital Research, Study Times, Getty, World Trade Organization, Century China Center, University of California, Communist Party, Ministry of State Security, Beijing Locations: China, COVID, Xinhua, University of California San Diego, Beijing

☆ A Chinese spy used fake LinkedIn profiles to target officials to hand over secrets, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A Chinese spy created several fake LinkedIn profiles to target UK officials, The Times of London reports. Another Chinese agent previously confessed to using LinkedIn to find people likely to possess sensitive information. AdvertisementAdvertisementA Chinese spy has been using LinkedIn to try to get UK officials to hand over state secrets, The Times of London reported. The UK's security minister Tom Tugendhat said in a statement shared with Insider that the Home Office is aware of Chinese Intelligence using LinkedIn and other social media sites to target British citizens. In a statement shared with Insider, a LinkedIn spokesperson said: "Creating a fake account is a clear violation of our terms of service.

Persons: Beijing –, Robin Zhang, Eric Chen Yixi, Robin Cao, Lincoln Lam, John Lee, Eric Kim, Tom Tugendhat, It's, Lazarus – Organizations: The, LinkedIn, Chinese Ministry of State, The Times, Times, Intelligence, National Security, Washington Post, Reuters, Prevention & Defense Locations: London, Beijing, China, North Korea

☆ China accuses government worker of spying for the CIA in second public espionage claim
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Chinese authorities on Monday publicly accused a government worker of spying for the CIA, the second high-profile espionage case publicized this month as Beijing ramps up its emphasis – and rhetoric – on national security. The 39-year-old Chinese national, identified only by his surname Hao, became acquainted with a US embassy official in Japan while applying for a US visa, the ministry said. Upon returning to China, Hao landed a job at a government ministry, and allegedly met with CIA agents multiple times to “provide intelligence and collect espionage funds,” the Chinese spy agency claimed. The secretive agency, which overseas intelligence and counterintelligence both within China and overseas, has taken on a higher profile to warn the Chinese public against espionage. Earlier in August, two US Navy sailors in California were arrested for allegedly providing sensitive US military information to Chinese intelligence officers.

Persons: Hao, ” Hao, ”, Xi Jinping Organizations: CNN, CIA, Ministry of State Security, US Locations: Beijing, Japan, China, Italy, WeChat, United States, California

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