Chinese Engineer Sentenced to Death for Espionage, Reflecting Severe Security Leaks

Illustration: A media professional notes that these "special operations" are essentially designed to instill a sense of fear, leading to self-censorship. (Photo by Patrick Lux/Getty Images)

[People News] On March 19, China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) announced via its WeChat public account that an assistant engineer from a research institute had been convicted of selling state secrets to a foreign espionage agency. The engineer was ultimately sentenced to death for espionage and illegally providing state secrets. Analysts noted that such a severe punishment is rare and serves as a warning to China’s research and scientific community.

According to a report from Radio Free Asia citing China Central Television (CCTV), a Liu-surnamed assistant engineer from a research institute allegedly harbored resentment toward his workplace due to perceived unfair treatment and decided to resign. Before leaving, he secretly copied and retained a large number of classified documents he had handled. The MSS claimed that after his resignation, Liu suffered financial losses from failed investments and accumulated significant debt, which led him to consider selling classified information. He allegedly targeted a foreign intelligence agency and, over six months, secretly traveled through multiple countries, severely compromising national security. As a result, he was sentenced to death for espionage and illegally providing state secrets, with lifelong deprivation of political rights.

Qi Leyi: Flaws in China’s Security Management—Death Sentence Serves as Internal Deterrent

Military expert Qi Leyi told Radio Free Asia that the MSS did not disclose which research institute was involved in this case. However, he pointed out that China’s military-industrial enterprises have been hit hard by anti-corruption campaigns in the past two to three years, with many high-ranking officials arrested. This suggests that even more lower-level personnel handling classified information might be implicated. At the very least, it indicates that the CCP has issues with its classified information management system. He noted that an "assistant research engineer" should not have had access to highly classified materials.

Furthermore, regarding the so-called "defection," the MSS did not specify which foreign country was involved. Qi speculated that this omission might be due to the potential upcoming meeting between Chinese and U.S. leaders, making it inconvenient for Beijing to name a specific country. Additionally, the MSS claimed that the engineer traveled through multiple countries over six months while leaking state secrets. If highly classified materials were involved, the fact that he was not under strict monitoring exposes a serious security loophole. Even after resignation, individuals with access to highly sensitive information should remain under supervision for a specified period. The higher the level of classified access, the longer the post-resignation monitoring should be.

Qi concluded, "I believe this serves as a strong internal deterrent. It suggests that the number of people leaking secrets may be significant, or that awareness of security protocols is low. The situation must be very serious for authorities to make an example of this assistant engineer."

China's Standards for Sentencing Leaks

According to China's Criminal Law, in cases involving the crime of leaking military secrets, providing military secrets to foreign entities under particularly serious circumstances can lead to sentences of over 10 years in prison, life imprisonment, or even the death penalty. Chinese lawyer Sun Suyan analyzed the sentencing standards for leaking secrets on an intelligent platform, noting that 'the sentencing standards for the crime of leaking secrets depend on factors such as the severity of the leak, the identity of the leaker, and the consequences of the leak.'

Wang Zhanxi: Chinese High-Tech Talent Attempting to Leave China as a Leakage Channel

Wang Zhanxi, a researcher at Taiwan's National Security Research Institute of the National Defense Security Research Institute, stated in an interview with our station that leaking secrets is a serious crime in any country. However, the death penalty is a very rare occurrence, even in China. Generally, a significant proportion of officials involved in corruption receive a death sentence with a two-year reprieve, and direct death sentences are also uncommon. This case, which involves a death sentence, is particularly notable.

He analyzed that the Ministry of State Security of the Communist Party of China did not disclose much information in its official WeChat announcement, but the reason this case may lead to a death sentence is likely because the engineer's unit is involved in a military-sensitive research institution or has leaked military demand technology related to military-civilian integration, which is considered core technology. If it involves the development of important military-related technology, a higher standard of sentencing will be applied. Additionally, in order to overcome the United States' 'chokehold' on technology controls, the Communist Party places significant emphasis on the development of innovation fields and will impose stricter controls on its core secrets regarding national competitiveness in the technology sector than in the past.

This case highlights the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) need to safeguard its technological secrets. The CCP engages in the theft of technology and confidential information from other countries, whether it pertains to the technology itself or the skilled personnel who possess it, which represents a significant aspect of China's infiltration into foreign nations," Wang Zhanxi elaborated. "Conversely, China is also facing a situation where many high-tech talents are considering their options for more suitable environments. Given the CCP's politically, economically, and socially closed atmosphere, capable engineers may seek to emigrate or establish connections with foreign countries, which has become a channel for information leaks. The Ministry of State Security is attempting to use this case as a cautionary example. 

Reports Have Emerged Regarding a Post-90s Female PhD in China leaking Secrets About the J-36 Fighter Jet 

As early as 2021, it was reported that a post-90s female PhD, Han, was accused of leaking sensitive information about the J-36 fighter jet to so-called 'foreign forces' during her employment at a prestigious research institution. She allegedly attempted to sell classified data, including information on plasma stealth coating experiments and 3D modeling of sixth-generation engines, with the amount involved reaching 3 million dollars. 

Qi Leyi believes that breaches of confidentiality in Chinese scientific research have long been apparent; the only question is whether they are made public. Since China's military enterprises and research institutions have distinct mission planning and divisions of labor, if leaks from a research institution are disclosed, it becomes relatively easy for outsiders to trace and identify the nature of the leaked secrets. Consequently, in cases of severe breaches, the CCP may choose not to disclose them. He noted that artificial intelligence (AI), unmanned systems, and aerospace are the three primary focus areas for the CCP's military development, and should a leak occur, the CCP will respond with strict measures.