China’s Ministry of State Security on Monday announced the arrest of a Chinese official accused of spying for the US Central Security and Surveillance Service (CIA).
According to Chinese authorities, the detainee is a 39-year-old official, nicknamed Hao, who was “recruited by the CIA while studying in Japan”.
In a statement, the Chinese ministry said an employee of the US embassy in that country won Hao’s trust through gifts and dinner invitations.
“Before completing his studies abroad, he was officially recruited by a member of the CIA and signed an espionage agreement with the United States,” the same source added.
According to the same statement, after returning to Chinese territory, Hao began working at an unspecified ministry and “met several times with CIA officials in China to offer information in exchange for money”.
The State Security Department said earlier this month it had apprehended another alleged Chinese spy hired by an official at the US embassy in Italy.
Last July, China amended the counterintelligence law to include “cooperation with espionage organizations and their agents” in the espionage category.
The legislation banned the transfer of information related to national security and expanded the definition of espionage, at a time when Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed the need to build a “new security architecture”.
China’s Ministry of State Security also this month called for the mobilization of “the whole society” to “prevent and combat espionage”, and announced measures to “strengthen national defense” against “foreign intelligence activities”.
In May, Chinese police searched the offices of two consulting firms, Bain & Co. and Capvision, and a US accounting firm, Mintz Group. Authorities offered no explanation, saying only that foreign companies are required to comply with the law.
These investigations caused concern in the industry and among potential foreign investors, despite Beijing making clear that these were isolated actions.
Source: DN
