In recent news, two individuals in China have been sentenced to jail time and had their personal property confiscated for providing state secrets to foreign entities.
Cheng, who was fined 100,000 yuan (US$13,800) and had property worth 900,000 yuan seized, shared information about rare earths with a foreign non-ferrous metals company. Ye, on the other hand, was jailed for 11 years and had 500,000 yuan in personal property taken after being found guilty of illegally disclosing state secrets to overseas forces.
The Ministry of State Security reported that foreign spies have been targeting Chinese grain production and research, causing harm to the country’s seed industry and food security. The ministry uncovered nearly 100 individuals and 11 companies involved in these activities in 2022 and 2023.
The crackdown on espionage activities comes amidst a new area of strategic competition between global powers for critical minerals like rare earths. The Chinese government is taking steps to protect its key mineral resources and ensure national security.
As part of National Security Education Day, Chinese authorities released a video featuring a Hong Kong permanent resident and US citizen, John Leung Shing-wan, who was sentenced to life in mainland China for espionage. The video highlighted 10 spying cases and warned of the consequences of engaging in espionage activities.
The Chinese government recently revised its espionage law to cover a broader scope of data gathering activities, raising concerns among foreign investors about compliance with the new regulations. Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story.
