Researcher Who Leaked Chinese Military Secrets Abroad Arrested...Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison

[Image source=China Central (CC) TV news screen capture]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Hyun-woo] The Chinese government announced that a researcher attempting to sell military secrets overseas has been apprehended. It is also reported that information on fighter jets and some weapons not yet deployed in active service was leaked.

According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) on the 17th, China's Ministry of State Security revealed that Zhang Jiange, a senior researcher at the Defense Technology Research Institute, was arrested on espionage charges and sentenced to 15 years in prison by the court. The Ministry stated that Zhang was caught at the airport just before leaving the country, and confidential research materials were found in his travel bag at the time. He is accused of trying to sell these materials to foreign intelligence agencies.

Zhang is known to have been recruited by an intelligence agency while working as a visiting researcher in the country in 2011. The intelligence agent reportedly gave Zhang expensive luxury gifts and promised to support his child's overseas education, while paying him about $5,000 (approximately 6.09 million KRW) as consulting fees each time information was handed over.

China Central Television (CCTV) reported that the information Zhang passed on included "research containing core secrets related to major weapons of the People's Liberation Army," and the broadcast footage featured naval ship artillery and the J-15 fighter jet, which is deployed on China's aircraft carriers, according to SCMP. A Ministry of State Security official stated, "Due to Zhang, a significant amount of information related to weapons not yet deployed in active service was leaked."

Chen Wenqing, head of China's Ministry of State Security, recently wrote in an article for Qiushi, the Chinese Communist Party's theoretical journal, that China's ability to respond to non-traditional security threats is being tested. He said, "A comprehensive approach is needed for non-traditional security issues such as economic, cultural, social, technological, cyber security, and biological threats," adding, "Failure to address even one of these will undermine overall national security."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.