Chinese intelligence officer accused of trying to steal trade secrets from G.E. Aviation

CINCINNATI (WKRC) - A Chinese intelligence officer has been indicted on charges he stole trade secrets of American and European companies. U.S. Attorney Benjamin Glassman and the FBI say Yanjun Xu targeted G.E. Aviation in Southwest Ohio and other companies.

Glassman said Xu is a Chinese Ministry of State Security operative. MSS is the intelligence and security agency for China. It's responsible for foreign intelligence, counter-intelligence and political security.

Xu was arrested in Belgium on April 1, 2018. On April 4, a grand jury in the Southern District of Ohio returned an indictment. That indictment was unsealed on Oct. 10.

Xu appeared in federal court in Cincinnati on Wednesday on charges of conspiracy to commit espionage and conspiracy to steal trade secrets and attempt to commit espionage and attempt to steal trade secrets. He was extradited from Belgium on Tuesday. Glassman said Xu is the first Chinese MSS officer to be extradited to the U.S. to stand trial.

Investigators say Xu sought out experts working for aviation and aerospace companies who he thought could provide trade secrets. He's accused of getting them to travel to China to speak at universities or as part of an "exchange of ideas". Glassman said he'd groom experts in an effort to have them turn over trade secrets to benefit the Chinese government.

In 2017, Glassman said an unindicted co-conspirator tried to recruit an employee of GE Aviation in Southwest Ohio. That employee visited China at the end of May and in the beginning of June to talk about jet engines. Glassman said that employee met with Xu several times. Xu continued to contact the employee but GE Aviation was working with the FBI. The FBI was able to acquire Xu's communication with the employee and with MSS officers.

In February 2018, Glassman said the employee sent Xu technical information marked as proprietary. Xu suggested he and the employee meet in in Europe so he could get information from the employee's laptop.

“This unprecedented extradition of a Chinese intelligence officer exposes the Chinese government's direct oversight of economic espionage against the United States”, stated FBI Assistant Director for Counterintelligence Bill Priestap.

Glassman did not release any other information about the G.E. employee.

Glassman said only civilian technology was targeted, not military.

[shihtzuview]

A deputy? He looks younger than Snowden.

[carolpreston]

Treat him just like the Chinese would treat a US citizen doing this...arrest him put him in jail and throw away the key....