Who is Yanjun Xu, the first Chinese intelligence officer to plot to steal US aviation trade secrets?

New Delhi: In a move that will surely shake the world and set a positive precedent for the future, a federal jury in Cincinnati has convicted a Chinese intelligence officer of conspiracy and attempted economic espionage and stealing trade secrets. found guilty. A Chinese intelligence officer named Yanjun Xu is the deputy director of a foreign intelligence branch of the Ministry of State Security of China and he was First Chinese intelligence officer extradited to US and convicted, Xu was extradited from Belgium in 2018 and his trial began on October 19, 2021.

It has long been speculated and known that the Chinese government conducts espionage operations to gain trade secrets, technology and expertise from other advanced countries such as the US and European countries. Huawei, a Chinese telecommunications company, has been repeatedly exposed for using covert means to gain access to restricted technology and is one of the reasons why Huawei and ZTE have been blacklisted by several countries around the world.

The reason that this arrest and conviction was such a hallmark is that it is the first Chinese intelligence officer to be extradited to the United States for trial and convicted, and that the arrest directly links the Chinese government to espionage operations. and will likely be used for decades as evidence of the Chinese Communist Party’s approach to stealing technology from other countries.

The case against Xu dates back to 2013. According to official records Xu used several aliases to try and acquire company secrets from several companies around the world who are recognized as leaders in the field of aviation.

In what US courts described as typical Chinese espionage behavior, Xu will identify individuals who worked for airlines and try to persuade them to come to China on the pretext of making a presentation at a university. These individuals were paid by Xu, being covered on top of their travels. Ultimately, Xu’s attempt to steal technology from GE Aviation regarding his composite aircraft engine fan led to his downfall and subsequent arrest.

According to US court documents, Xu had planned to persuade a GE employee to come to China to steal GE technology, but Xu eventually decided to visit the employee in Belgium in 2018 and that’s when Xu was eventually arrested.

In the past few years, Chinese espionage against the US has increased significantly and this arrest has sparked a flurry of activities for both the US and China. According to experts, there is a possibility that the US will be able to extract important information from Xu during his captivity, on the other hand, the Chinese government would like to take Xu back and this may lead to the imprisoning of American citizens in China. False allegations of talks with the US This is something China has previously done with the arrest of Canadian nationals Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig in an effort to get Canada to release Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou and prevent his extradition to the US Can you

Testifying to the Senate Intelligence Committee, FBI Director Christopher Wray said China represents one of the most serious threats to the world in terms of economic security and democratic values. Until this conviction, US intelligence agencies struggled to provide solid evidence to US policymakers, but this arrest turns and unquestionably links the Chinese Communist Party to global efforts to steal technology from other countries.

The Chinese intelligence community is also likely to be very upset. The arrest is a sign that the tried-and-tested methods of Chinese espionage will no longer work and that it would be insane that the next scientist or researcher they try to recruit, the Chinese intelligence services have been disorganized and they are trying to develop new methods. Will try. Thereby they can achieve similar detective results. The Chinese government has already come out and denied claims that Xu was trying to steal trade secrets, and instead calls the allegations pure fabrication. But the case against Xu is very strong and the evidence is poor, so China has so far not fought hard enough to reverse the reason for the verdict which could lead to further publicity and embarrassment.

For years it has been known that the Chinese use espionage tactics to steal technology and state secrets. The goal of Chinese espionage is the development of China’s industries and the theft of foreign money. To achieve that goal, the Chinese Communist Party employs government agencies, organizations, commercial entities, individual entrepreneurs, Chinese expatriates, Chinese and foreign researchers to carry out its goals.

Chinese intelligence operations use the entire society as a foundation and instead of relying on standard espionage-fare, (encrypted communications, dead drops, etc.), it uses all manner of civilians to conduct its own vast amounts of espionage operations. and private enterprises such as Huawei. Chinese law itself supports espionage, private companies and individuals are required by law to provide information and support to Chinese intelligence operations and can face severe punishment if they do not help.

But Xu’s arrest marks a turning point, as it will help the US and other countries understand the technology, tactics, capabilities, motives and tradeoffs of Chinese spies, and hopefully identify and prevent theft of secrets. technology globally.

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