China claims to catch US spy from within defence institute

China's leading intelligence agency announced on Sunday that a Chinese national employed by a defence institute in the country has been accused of spying for the United States.

The case has been transferred to a court in Chengdu for trial, highlighting China's growing focus on national security, the expansion of anti-spying legislation, and the crackdown on domestic corruption.

According to a television report by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, a man named Hou, who worked at an undisclosed defence institute, was sent as a visiting scholar to a US university in 2013. During his time there, he was allegedly coerced into disclosing Chinese state secrets to the US.

China's Ministry of State Security released a statement via its WeChat social media account, emphasising that "espionage activities go hand in hand with deception, temptation, and conspiracy." However, the university involved was not named in the statement or media reports.

CCTV reported that a US professor with close ties to Hou introduced him to an individual who claimed to work for a consulting company. In reality, this person was described as an American "intelligence officer" who used the company as a cover. 

Over several months, the intelligence officer persuaded Hou to become a consulting expert, promising compensation of $600 to $700 per session for his services.

A few months later, during a visit to the US by Hou's wife and son, the American revealed his true intentions and proposed a change in their cooperation. Fearing for the safety of his family, Hou agreed to the terms.

This arrangement involved regular meetings where Hou would disclose highly classified secrets during hour-long sessions in exchange for $1,000 in compensation.

Hou's cooperation with US intelligence continued after his return to China in 2014. He maintained contact with US intelligence agencies during international conferences and voluntarily provided intelligence information in the fields of national defence and the military industry.

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

In recent years, China has arrested and detained numerous individuals, both Chinese and foreign nationals, on suspicion of espionage. These actions have raised concerns in the United States regarding China's aggressive counter-espionage efforts.

Additionally, China's intelligence agency recently released new details about a US citizen who was sentenced to life in prison for espionage earlier this year.