Researcher sentenced to death in China for espionage

Beijing, Mar 19 (PTI) A Chinese engineer from a research institute has been sentenced to death for selling classified material to foreign spy agencies, China's Ministry of State Security said on Wednesday.
    The engineer, identified as Liu, from the research institute was working with a “carefully designed plan” to sell intelligence to foreign agencies, the official media here reported, citing the ministry’s article.
    China’s national security officials have uncovered the espionage case in which Liu illegally copied and sold state secrets to foreign spy agencies.
    Liu was convicted of espionage and illegally providing state secrets and has been sentenced to death with lifelong deprivation of political rights, state-run Global Times reported, quoting the ministry’s article.
    Liu was driven by resentment after believing he had been treated unfairly and denied promotions. Before resigning, he secretly copied and retained a large volume of classified materials, intending to use them for retaliation and blackmail, the article said.
    He later joined an investment firm. After failed investments drove him into debt, he proactively reached out to a foreign spy agency, offering intelligence in exchange for money at a “low price”, it said, without naming the foreign agency.
    After the foreign agency cut off contact with him, Liu tried to sell the information abroad.
    "In half a year, he secretly travelled to many countries and seriously leaked our country's secrets," the article said.
    Liu’s espionage activities did not go unnoticed. National security authorities closely monitored his communications with foreign intelligence agencies, gathering extensive evidence before taking action, it said.
    He was arrested. During the investigation, he confessed to his crimes following which he was handed down a death sentence.
    The news of Liu’s death sentence followed recent warnings from China that its citizens are being co-opted by foreign entities to serve as spies.
    "Desperadoes who want to take shortcuts to heaven will all suffer consequences," the ministry’s article said.
    Last November, a former employee at a Chinese state agency was sentenced to death after his USB work flash drive was allegedly seized by foreign spies and he became their "puppet", according to Chinese authorities.
    In February last year, Australian writer Yang Hengjun, known for blogging about human rights issues in China, was handed a suspended death sentence on espionage charges. That sentence was upheld, and Yang remains behind bars in China, despite Australian leaders calling for his release, BBC reported.
    Concerns about Chinese influence and infiltration operations are also brewing among governments across the world, several of which have in recent years stepped up arrests of Chinese nationals on espionage charges.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)