A Chinese academic accused of spying for the United States is set to be tried under China's espionage law, China's top intelligence authorities have said.
The man, surnamed Hou, reportedly worked for an unnamed defense institute in China before traveling to the U.S. for a stint as a visiting professor in 2013, according to a report by Chinese state media outlet CCTV.
While at the undisclosed American university, another professor allegedly introduced Hou to an American intelligence agent working under the guise of a consultant. After they got to know each other, the other man reportedly offered Hou consulting work for his company to the tune of $600-700 per job.
The "consultant" eventually divulged the actual nature of his work and proposed a new arrangement that saw the two meet for hourly discussions about Chinese government defense secrets Hou was privy to due to his previous position. Hou, whose consulting rate was raised to $1,000, allegedly agreed, as his family was visiting him in the U.S., and he was concerned for their safety.
He continued to provide American operatives with intelligence related to the Chinese defense industry even after he returned home the following year.
Chinese investigators eventually got wind of Hou's activities, and in July 2021, he was detained by the provincial state security agency of the southwest province of Sichuan. He has been transferred to the Chengdu Intermediate People's Court and is now awaiting trial, according to a Ministry of National Security post on the social media platform WeChat.
The case is the latest to highlight China's heightened focus on both citizens and foreign nationals suspected of espionage. Last week, Beijing announced it was formally arresting a Japanese man employed by Astellas Pharma who had been detained in March on suspicion of the crime.
In July, sweeping new revisions to the country's anti-espionage law went into effect. U.S. analysts and experts on Chinese law have voiced concern the legislation's vague language will make it easier to detain American citizens arbitrarily.
The changes to the law came on the heels of raids at the Shanghai office of consulting firm Bain and Company and at Mintz Group, with Chinese authorities arresting five employees of the due diligence group and shutting down its Beijing branch.
Newsweek reached out to the Chinese embassy in Washington and Chengdu Intermediate People's Court for comment but didn't hear back before publication.
Update 10/23/23 1:50 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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Micah McCartney is a reporter for Newsweek based in Taipei, Taiwan. He covers U.S.-China relations, East Asian and Southeast Asian ... Read more
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