Engineer-Turned-Spy Sentenced to Death in China for Leaking State Secrets

Fully Admitted to Espionage Crimes
Contacted Foreign Intelligence Agencies and Leaked Secrets After Leaving the Research Institute

Chinese authorities have sentenced a former research institute engineer to death on charges of leaking state secrets.

On the 19th, according to multiple local media including Guangming Online, the Ministry of State Security, China's top intelligence agency, announced via the social networking service (SNS) WeChat account news about Mr. Liu, who worked as an assistant engineer at a domestic research institute before resigning.

The Ministry of State Security stated, "Suspicious contact between Mr. Liu and foreign intelligence agencies was detected by our surveillance network," adding, "During the investigation, Mr. Liu fully admitted to his espionage crimes and was sentenced to death."

According to reports, Mr. Liu secretly traveled to several countries over six months and seriously leaked state secrets. He was charged with espionage and illegal provision of state secrets, and his political rights were permanently revoked.

Describing Mr. Liu as 'beyond redemption,' the Ministry of State Security said, "Believing he was treated unfairly at the research institute, he resigned and secretly copied and stored all state secret materials to plan revenge against the institute."

The Ministry added, "After resigning, he worked at an investment company but fell into massive debt due to stock speculation, leading him to consider betraying the country by handing over the secret materials to the enemy. Foreign intelligence agencies obtained the secrets at a very low cost and then cut off contact with Mr. Liu."

The name of the research institute where Mr. Liu worked, the foreign intelligence agencies he contacted, and the schedule for the execution of the death sentence were not disclosed.