Chinese Ministry of State Security

China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) revealed on Monday three cases involving individuals voluntarily pledging allegiance to foreign spy agencies for profit and endangering state security. The ministry uncovered the cases and mitigated risks of information leakage, providing a strong deterrent to similar activities.

One of the cases involved Zhong, a former employee of a subsidiary of a classified unit, who later started his own business.

Amid business disputes involving his company, Zhong was listed as a defaulter by the court, and his bank accounts were frozen.

In order to alleviate financial pressure, Zhong logged onto the official website of a foreign intelligence agency, falsely claiming to be a leader of a classified unit and offering cooperation.

The foreign agency immediately got contact with Zhong, gathered his personal information, and requested details about the secret-related unit. Zhong provided information on a secret-related project he had previously engaged in.

Following a thorough investigation, the state security organ obtained evidence of Zhong’s illegal activities and apprehended him in accordance with the law before he could meet with personnel from the foreign intelligence agency, promptly eliminating potential risks.

In another case, an employee surnamed Qi from a secret-related unit used his access to classified projects to secretly retain confidential information by copying and photographing the materials.

Later, due to significant financial losses following failed investment, Qi developed the idea of profiting from selling intelligence.

Qi logged onto the official website of a foreign spy and intelligence agency to seek allegiance, even taking original copies of classified materials home to photograph and transmit to the foreign agency.

Following a thorough investigation, the state security authority uncovered Qi’s illegal activities and the assessment on the materials revealed that the materials in Qi’s possession included multiple state secrets classified as confidential.

Ultimately, Qi was sentenced to two years and three months of imprisonment and one year of deprivation of political rights for the crime of stealing state secrets for foreign entities.

In the third case the MSS revealed, an unemployed person surnamed Song facing financial difficulties, attempted to trade classified information for money after struggling to find a job.

In order to raise his “value,” Song searched and downloaded publicly available information from a scientific research institution, categorizing and sorting it out in preparation for use after defection.

After that, Song logged onto the official website of a foreign spy and intelligence agency, falsely claiming to be a researcher in possession of important scientific and technical materials, and expressed his desire to collaborate with the agency.

The state security department identified Song’s attempt and promptly prevented him from defecting to the foreign intelligence agency.

Although the materials Song had prepared did not involve state secrets, his voluntary pledge of allegiance to the foreign spy agency violated China’s Counter-Espionage Law. The state security authority imposed administrative penalties on Song in accordance with the law.

According to China’s Criminal Law, whoever joins an espionage organization or accepting a mission assigned by the organization or its agent and therefore endangers national security shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than 10 years or life imprisonment.

Whoever steals, spies on, or illegally purchases or provides state secrets or intelligence for an overseas organization, institution or individual shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than five years but not more than 10 years. Where the circumstances are especially serious, the offender shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than 10 years of life imprisonment.

Global Times