Chinese arrested in US over spying allegation

After one of Ji's handlers was arrested, he met with US undercover agents in April and May, and admitted to his work, which included collecting background checks, the affidavit said. He allegedly told the undercover agents: "They just wanted me to purchase some documents on their behalf. Their reason was just because it was inconvenient for them to make payments from China." Ji enlisted in the army reserves, according to the US Attorney's office, but failed to disclose his foreign contacts to the military.

America’s Federal Bureau of Investigations(FBI) on Tuesday arrested a Chinese national, Ji Chaoqun on charges of spying on US for China.

Chaoqun was allegedly tasked with providing Chinese intelligence with biographical information about eight American citizens — some of whom were US defence contractors.

The 27 -year old came to Chicago in 2013 on a student visa to study electrical engineering  later enlisted in the army reserves.
Chaoqun is accused of helping Beijing attempt to recruit American scientists and engineers and now facing charges with one count of knowingly acting as an agent of a foreign government without prior notification to the US Attorney General.

Court affidavit indicate that the arrested was working at the direction of a “high-level intelligence officer” in China’s Ministry of State Security, which “handles civilian intelligence collection and is responsible for counter-intelligence and foreign intelligence, as well as political security.”

All eight of the people Ji allegedly researched were naturalized American citizens who were born in Taiwan or China, according to authorities. The targets either currently worked or were recently retired from a career in the science and technology industry.
An affidavit filed in federal court by an FBI investigator specializing in espionage, claims among the people targeted was an engineer at one of “the world’s top aircraft engine suppliers for both commercial and military aircraft.”

 

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