US Navy Member Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison for Leaking Military Secrets to China

Chinese-American Admits Collusion with China and Bribery
Transfers US Military Training Plans in Indo-Pacific Region

A Chinese-American soldier serving in the U.S. Navy was sentenced to 27 months in prison and fined $5,500 for handing over sensitive U.S. defense information and military secrets to Chinese intelligence agents and receiving $15,000 in bribes.

On the 8th (local time), the U.S. Department of Justice announced in a statement that Sergeant Wenheng Zhao admitted to conspiracy with Chinese intelligence agents and bribery charges.

Sergeant Zhao, who served at the Ventura Naval Base in California, admitted to passing on U.S. military training plans for the Indo-Pacific region, operational orders, and radar system blueprints of the U.S. military base in Okinawa, Japan, to China. In return, he received a total of $15,000 in bribes over 14 occasions from August 2021 to May 2023. According to prosecutors, Zhao used encrypted messages in conversations with Chinese intelligence agents and even attempted to destroy evidence.

Zhao was born in China and naturalized as a Chinese-American citizen in the U.S. He immigrated to the United States in 2009, obtained citizenship in 2012, and enlisted in the Navy five years later.

Matthew Olsen, U.S. Department of Justice Deputy Assistant Attorney General for National Security, stated, "Zhao betrayed the solemn oath to protect his country and endangered U.S. military personnel," adding, "The United States is committed to fighting against the Chinese government's efforts to undermine national security."

Larissa Nap, who is in charge of national security at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), said, "Zhao betrayed his oath to the nation and chose to put others at risk." She emphasized, "Today's sentencing once again shows that Chinese intelligence authorities are incapable of preventing the FBI and our key partners from arresting and prosecuting Chinese spies."

However, Sergeant Jin Chao Wei, who was arrested last year on espionage charges alongside Zhao, denies the allegations. Wei, 22, who served on the USS Essex amphibious assault ship at the San Diego Naval Base, is accused of passing photos, videos, and documents related to U.S. naval vessels and systems to China and receiving $5,000 in return.

Amid rising tensions between the U.S. and China, China is also strengthening counterintelligence activities. China reinforced its Anti-Espionage Law in July last year. Two months earlier, in May last year, a Chinese court sentenced John Leung, a 70-year-old Hong Kong permanent resident and American citizen, to life imprisonment on espionage charges. Leung was arrested in April 2021 on espionage charges, but China did not disclose the details of the allegations.

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