China's state secrets leak prompts rare death sentence for ex-employee

6/11/2024 13:47

        A former employee working for one of China's state agencies has been given a rare death sentence for leaking "state secrets," the Ministry of State Security said on Wednesday, after he was accused of handing over his USB drive to foreign spy agencies.
        
        The case underscores China's intense crackdown on espionage activities and highlights escalating tension between China and other countries on national security issues.
        
        A man surnamed Zhang provided a "large number of top-secret and confidential state secrets to foreign spy intelligence agencies, seriously endangering China's national security", the ministry posted on messaging application WeChat.
        
        It did not reveal his full name or his previous job position.
        
        Zhang was once "a core confidential personnel of a state agency" and was exposed to a large number of state secrets at work, the ministry said.
        
        After leaving his job, Zhang became an "important target for foreign spy intelligence agencies to win over and subvert".
        
        "Zhang, who was weak in character and could not resist the temptation of money, became a 'puppet' controlled and used by the other party," the ministry said.