BEIJING: China’s Ministry of State Security has claimed that a Chinese citizen, identified as Hou, who worked for an undisclosed defense institute, has been accused of spying for the United States.
According to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, Hou, who was sent to a US university as a visiting scholar in 2013, was forced into revealing Chinese state secrets by an American “intelligence officer” posing as an employee of a consulting company.
The intelligence officer, who had close ties with Hou, lured him into espionage activities by promising him payments ranging from $600 to $1,000 for disclosing highly classified secrets during hour-long sessions. The cooperation allegedly continued even after Hou returned to China in 2014, with him providing intelligence information related to national defense and the military industry.
China Reveals Deceptive Tactics Employed for Spying
China’s Ministry of State Security released a statement via its WeChat social media account, highlighting the deceptive tactics employed in espionage activities, including deception, temptation, and conspiracy. The case has now been transferred to a court in the southwestern city of Chengdu for trial.
This incident is part of a series of arrests made by China in recent years, targeting both Chinese and foreign nationals suspected of espionage. The heightened counter-espionage efforts by China have raised concerns in the United States and other countries regarding the evolving landscape of international intelligence activities.
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In a related development, China’s spy agency recently released additional details about a US citizen who was sentenced to life in prison earlier this year for espionage.
