![]() He was scheduled to meet with the employee and was arrested at that time. Xu traveled to Belgium with cash and pictures of the employee on April 1, 2018. In February 2018, Xu began discussing with the employee the possibility of meeting in Europe during one of the employee’s business trips and asked the employee to send a copy of the file directory for his company-issued computer. In January 2018, Xu requested “system specification, design process” information from the employee and – with the cooperation of GE Aviation, who was working with the FBI – the employee emailed a two-page document from the company that included a label that warned about the disclosure of proprietary information. Xu and others paid the employee’s travel expenses and a stipend.Īfter the trip to China, the FBI took over communications with Xu, posing as the employee. The employee traveled to China two months later to present at the university and was introduced to Xu. In March 2017, a GE Aviation employee in Cincinnati was solicited to give a report at a university in China. Xu attempted to steal technology related to GE Aviation’s exclusive composite aircraft engine fan module – which no other company in the world has been able to duplicate – to benefit the Chinese state. military information in addition to commercial aviation trade secrets. Xu also openly talked about efforts to obtain U.S. Xu worked with others in the MSS to hack or copy computers in hotel rooms while the aviation employees – his “guests” – were taken to dinner by the MSS. The scheme was executed with full coordination between the MSS and China’s aviation entities. Xu and others paid the individuals stipends on top of covering travel costs. He identified individuals who worked for the companies and recruited them to travel to China, often initially under the guise that they were traveling to give a presentation at a university. Xu used aliases, front companies and universities to deceive aviation employees and solicit information. Xu was a career intelligence officer, beginning in 2003 and rising to the rank of deputy division director at the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS), the intelligence and security agency for China.Īccording to court documents and trial testimony, beginning in at least December 2013, Xu targeted specific companies in the United States and abroad that are recognized as leaders in the field of aviation. 5, 2021, a federal jury in Cincinnati convicted Xu on all counts: conspiracy to commit economic espionage, conspiracy to commit trade secret theft, attempted economic espionage and attempted trade secret theft. As long as the Chinese government continues to break our laws and threaten American industry and institutions, the FBI will work with its partners across the globe to bring those responsible to justice.” This brazen action shows that the Chinese government will stop at nothing to put our companies out of business to the detriment of U.S. trade secrets so it could advance its own commercial and military aviation efforts, at the expense of an American company. “The Chinese government tasked an officer of its spy service to steal U.S. “This case is just the latest example of the Chinese government’s continued attacks on American economic security – and, by extension, our national security,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. Thanks to the diligent work of the FBI, GE Aviation and our trial team, he’ll spend decades in federal prison.” “Xu conspired to steal American science and technology. Parker for the Southern District of Ohio. “This case sends a clear message: we will hold accountable anyone attempting to steal American trade secrets,” said U.S. “Today’s sentence demonstrates the seriousness of those crimes and the Justice Department’s determination to investigate and prosecute efforts by the Chinese government, or any foreign power, to threaten our economic and national security.” and abroad,” said Attorney General Merrick B. “As proven at trial, the defendant, a Chinese government intelligence officer, used a range of techniques to attempt to steal technology and proprietary information from companies based in both the U.S. According to court documents, Xu targeted American aviation companies, recruited employees to travel to China, and solicited their proprietary information, all on behalf of the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Yanjun Xu, 42, was sentenced to 20 years in prison. The first Chinese government intelligence officer ever to be extradited to the United States to stand trial was sentenced today in federal court in Cincinnati.
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