China says it has uncovered a Chinese national accused of spying on a military industrial group and providing sensitive military intel to the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.
Beijing’s Ministry of State Security said Friday that a 52-year-old named Zeng was offered money and immigration to the United States in exchange for providing the classified information. Zeng, who had worked for a military industrial group, had been sent by his employer to Italy to further his studies, where he was recruited by a CIA agent stationed at the U.S. embassy in Rome, the ministry said in a statement posted on the ministry’s WeChat page.
“Zeng gradually developed a psychological dependence on (the U.S. official), who took the opportunity to indoctrinate him with Western values,” the statement said.
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Before the U.S. official, identified by China as a man named Seth, revealed himself to be a member of the CIA, the two bonded by going to dinner parties, operas and other outings, according to the statement. Zeng was eventually offered “a huge amount” of money, as well as immigration to the U.S. for his family for conducting espionage on his employer.
The statement said Zeng signed an espionage agreement with the U.S. before he received training. When he returned to China, the ministry said Zeng continued to meet covertly with the CIA agent to provide intel.
The ministry said it obtained evidence of Zeng’s espionage activities and has since taken “compulsory measures” against him. The case has been transferred to prosecutors for review.
The statement did not specify when any of the alleged events took place.
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Spying accusations come as U.S.-China tensions grow
The announcement is the latest in a series of of public accusations of espionage between Beijing and Washington as relations between the two countries have been steadily deteriorating.
Earlier this year, the U.S. shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon that was able to gather intelligence from several U.S. military sites and transmit it to Beijing in real time.
Last week, the U.S. arrested two Navy sailors charged with transmitting sensitive U.S. military information to the Chinese government. Jinchao Wei, 22, also known as Patrick Wei, was charged with espionage, while 26-year-old Petty Officer Wenheng Zhao, also known as Thomas Zhao, was charged with receiving bribes in exchange for transmitting information to a Chinese intelligence officer.
Wei, who was an active duty sailor for the USS Essex at the Naval Base San Diego, was accused of sending information about the ship to an intelligence officer working for the People’s Republic of China. Zhao, who worked at Naval Base Ventura County in Port Hueneme, was accused of providing information to a Chinese intelligence officer posing as a maritime economic researcher.
In June, it was revealed that China has secretly persuaded Cuba to allow it to build an electronic eavesdropping and intelligence-gathering facility on the island in exchange for billions in foreign aid. And the month prior, U.S. officials announced that Chinese citizens posing as tourists but suspected of being spies have made several attempts in recent years to gain access to military facilities in Alaska.
Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com.
