Photo: Chinese Ministry of State Security

China's Ministry of State Security (MSS) on Wednesday unveiled an espionage case involving accepting tasks from spy organizations and their agents, such as writing materials for them. The MSS stated that they have discovered and handled similar espionage crimes over recent years, according to an article published via the MSS's official WeChat account on Wednesday.

According to the disclosed case, a Chinese agency employee, surnamed Liu, met an "employee of a certain investigative agency" online. The "employee" asked Liu to write down information related to China in the name of an investigation consulting company, and provided financial support to Liu. 

With their relationship becoming deepened, the "employee" revealed that he was in fact a spy and asked Liu to collect classified documents. Despite feeling anxious, Liu, in order to continue receiving financial support, did not report this to the national security agencies. Liu accepted espionage training, and continued to collect classified documents and carry out activities as instructed by the "employee."

Following an investigation by the national security agencies, it was found that the "employee" was indeed a foreign spy. Although Liu didn't provide classified documents to this person, Liu still accepted tasks from the spy, carried out espionage tasks, collected classified documents, and received tens of thousands of yuan in return. 

Liu was eventually taken into custody by the national security agency on suspicion of espionage and was handed over to the judicial agencies for prosecution.

China's Criminal Law clearly states that whoever endangers national security by accepting a mission assigned by an espionage organization or its agent shall be sentenced to a fixed-term imprisonment of not less than 10 years or life imprisonment; if the circumstances are minor, they shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than three years but not more than 10 years.

The law clearly states that individuals who knowingly or should know they are working for a spy organization or its agents, and engage in activities that harm the national security, are guilty of espionage. 

It includes tasks such as collecting and providing state secrets, as well as infiltration and subversion. The individual's purpose or motivation doesn't affect the crime of espionage, the MSS explained.

Foreign intelligence agencies carry out espionage activities in China by recruiting and dispatching spies to steal or buy national secrets and intelligence, posing a threat to the national security. 

Espionage is considered a conduct crime, meaning that individuals who knowingly accept tasks from spy organizations and their agents, regardless of whether they receive money or goods, and regardless of whether actual harm has been caused, can be charged with espionage, said the MSS.

Global Times