A Chinese student was found guilty of conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government by a federal jury in Chicago, according to reports.
31-year-old Ji Chaoqun reportedly remained in contact with Chinese government officials while living in Chicago, where he kept Chinese officials updated on information regarding individuals targeted for recruitment by the Jiangsu Province Ministry of State Security.
“Ji, a Chinese citizen residing in Chicago, was tasked by Xu Yanjun, a Deputy Division Director within the Ministry of State Security, with providing an intelligence officer with biographical information on certain individuals for possible recruitment by the JSSD,” the Department of Justice (DOJ) wrote in its report.
“This tasking was part of an effort by the Jiangsu provincial department to obtain access to advanced aerospace and satellite technologies being developed by companies within the U.S.,” the report continued. “Xu was convicted last year in the Southern District of Ohio of conspiracy and attempting to commit economic espionage and theft of trade secrets.”
The Chinese national was able to enlist in 2016 via the Military Accessions Vital to the National Interest program, which allows U.S. military offices to hire legal foreigners deemed useful for service.
“In his application to participate in the MAVNI program, Ji falsely stated that he had not had contact with a foreign government within the past seven years,” the DOJ wrote. “In a subsequent interview with a U.S. Army officer, Ji again failed to disclose his relationship and contacts with a foreign intelligence officer.”
Chaoqun was also convicted of one count of making false statements to the U.S. Army.
China has been working hard to try to breach America’s secrets through espionage. Back in July, two Homeland Security workers were charged with spying on the U.S. for the Chinese government.
Prosecutors charged Craig Miller and Derrick Taylor, who both worked in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, with obstruction of justice for allegedly destroying evidence after FBI agents asked about the use of a law enforcement database with information on U.S.-based Chinese dissidents.
When asked for comment, a spokesman for the Chinese embassy, Liu Pengyu, said the embassy was “not aware of the specific situation,” but that Beijing “firmly opposes acts by the US that groundlessly malign and smear China.”
