Chinese PhD Student Gets 15 Years for Spying

Photo: VCG

A Chinese doctoral student had been sentenced to 15 years in prison for illegally providing classified topographic maps and military information to foreign entities in exchange for profit, according to a report released on Tuesday by the official WeChat account of China's National Administration of States Secrets Protection.

In July 2004, the tourism bureau of province A signed a tourism development aid project with an overseas organization, R. In May 2005, doctoral student surnamed Sha participated in the implementation of the project, said the report.

During the course of the project, staff members from the foreign organization R, namely Teng and Qian, repeatedly asked Sha for sensitive topographic maps, offering monetary compensation in return. 

Unable to resist the temptation of financial gain, Sha illegally scanned seven classified topographic maps and sent them to Teng and Qian's personal email addresses, earning 40,000 yuan ($5,500) in profit.

In September of the same year, under Qian's instruction, Sha also hand-drew the locations of important military targets during a planning investigation and marked the times when military forces were stationed at these locations.

Sha was ultimately convicted of espionage and illegally providing state secrets to foreign entities. Sha was sentenced to 15 years in prison, deprived of political rights for five years, and fined 50,000 yuan, with personal assets also confiscated, according to the report.

The analysis of this case highlights several key factors, the report said. Foreign intelligence agencies often use methods like project collaborations or academic conferences to identify vulnerable targets, as seen when staff from the foreign organization R befriended Sha through a tourism project and lured him with financial incentives. 

Additionally, the report noted that there was lax confidentiality management at the A Province local tourism bureau, allowing Sha to illegally scan and copy classified maps without proper authorization. 

Furthermore, Sha's actions demonstrated a lack of awareness regarding confidentiality, as the individual knowingly violated state secrecy laws by scanning and sending sensitive materials.

The National Administration of State Secrets Protection has called for stronger measures to protect state secrets. It urged universities to enhance confidentiality education and provide targeted training for students involved in sensitive projects. 

The administration also stressed the importance of background checks on students, ensuring they understand and adhere to confidentiality rules. 

Additionally, it recommended implementing comprehensive management systems for classified documents and secure locations to ensure strict compliance with state secrecy laws.

Global Times

Source:https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202511/1347899.shtml