Justice Department outlines conviction of Chinese intelligence officer

The U.S. Department of Justice recently outlined a federal jury’s conviction of a Chinese national and Deputy Division Director of the Sixth Bureau of the Jiangsu Province Ministry of State Security.

Authorities indicated Yanjun Xu was convicted of conspiring to and attempting to commit economic espionage and theft of trade secrets, noting he is the first Chinese intelligence officer to be extradited to the United States to stand trial.

“This conviction of a card-carrying intelligence officer for economic espionage underscores that trade secret theft is integral to the PRC government’s plans to modernize its industries,” Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen, of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, said. “But this conviction also serves notice that the United States will not sit by as China, or any other nation-state, attempts to steal instead of researching and developing key technology. Instead, and with the support of our allies, we will continue to investigate, prosecute, and hold accountable those who try to take the fruits of American ingenuity illegally.”

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, beginning in at least December 2013, Xu used multiple aliases to target specific companies domestically and abroad recognized as aviation industry leaders, identifying experts who worked for the companies while recruiting them to travel to China under the guise they were traveling to give a presentation at a university.

The conviction maintained Xu attempted to steal technology related to GE Aviation’s exclusive composite aircraft engine fan, per authorities, to benefit the Chinese state.

The Department of Justice said Xu was convicted of two counts of conspiring and attempting to commit economic espionage, in addition to conspiracy to commit trade secret theft and two counts of attempted theft of trade secrets.