In a fresh development adding to the ongoing allegations of espionage tensions between Beijing and Washington, China’s national security authorities have reported the detention of an individual affiliated with a military-industrial group on suspicions of spying for the CIA.
The Ministry of State Security, responsible for civil intelligence activities, issued a statement on Friday asserting that a military-industrial worker named Zeng was apprehended for purportedly sharing military classified information with the CIA in return for substantial financial gains.
The suspect, aged 52, had been dispatched by his employer to Italy for educational purposes. During his time there, he encountered an individual identified as “an official with the U.S. embassy,” later revealed to be a CIA operative, according to the ministry.
Allegedly, Zeng gradually developed a psychological reliance on the U.S. official, who exploited this connection to instill Western ideals, as stated in the announcement posted on the ministry’s WeChat platform.
The statement elaborated that the U.S. official enticed the Chinese suspect with significant monetary incentives and the prospect of facilitating his family’s migration to the United States, contingent upon him providing sensitive data pertaining to China’s military affairs—an area he had access to due to his employment.
The announcement concluded by affirming the suspect’s detainment and the ongoing investigative process.
This recent revelation joins a series of public allegations of espionage animosity between Beijing and Washington. Just the previous week, the U.S. detained two U.S. Navy sailors over allegations of divulging military intelligence to China.
Tensions between the United States and China have reached a nadir in recent years, exacerbated by the U.S.’s interception earlier this year of a suspected Chinese espionage balloon traversing U.S. airspace.
