China arrests four over sale of military secrets to overseas agencies

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China arrests four over sale of military secrets to overseas agencies

PUBLISHED : Thursday, 16 July, 2015, 1:20am
UPDATED : Thursday, 16 July, 2015, 1:20am

Reuters in Beijing

Four defence workers are suspected of divulging secrets about hi-tech weapons to foreign agencies. Photo: Reuters

Mainland authorities have arrested four civilians working at a defence firm for selling military secrets to foreign intelligence agencies, state media reported yesterday, the latest in a string of espionage-related arrests.

The defence workers are suspected of divulging secrets about the testing, production and use of new and hi-tech weapons, China Radio International said in an online report, citing the state security agency in Sichuan province.

They also sought out defence technicians to introduce to "overseas spies", the report said, adding that the four did not know each other although they worked for the same company.

The report did not specify which foreign spy agencies the four had given information to, but cited local media reports as saying agents had approached them online through social media.

In November, a man was arrested in the coastal city of Qingdao for taking photos of an aircraft carrier base and selling them to a foreigner.

State secrets law is notoriously broad, covering everything from industry data to the exact birthdates of state leaders. Information can also be labelled a state secret retroactively.

In severe cases, the theft of state secrets is punishable with life imprisonment or the death sentence.

Lawmakers in Beijing on July 1 voted overwhelmingly in favour of a national security law, which some rights groups and governments have criticised as being too broad.