Chinese Intel Officer Sentenced to 20 Years for Aviation Espionage

: Xu was convicted for conspiring and attempting to commit "economic espionage and steal trade secrets from multiple U.S. aviation and aerospace companies."

Michael Wildes

Wednesday, November 16, 2022 at 04:41 PM ET

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Federal Judge Timothy Black presided over the trial, which took place in U.S. District Court in Cincinnati. [Courtesy: US Attorney Southern District of Ohio]

Key Takeaways:

Chinese intelligence officer Yanjun Xu was sentenced to 20 years in prison for attempting to steal trade secrets and commit economic espionage against U.S. aviation and aerospace companies, particularly G.E. Aviation.
Xu's method involved recruiting expert employees from targeted companies to visit China under false pretenses of delivering university presentations, covering their travel costs and providing stipends.
This case is historic as it marks the first time a Chinese intelligence officer has been extradited, convicted, and sentenced in the U.S. for such crimes.
The conviction serves as a "wake-up call," highlighting the People's Republic of China's state-sponsored economic espionage efforts to acquire American technology and modernize its industries.

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Chinese intelligence officer Yanjun Xu, who worked for China’s Ministry of State Security, was sentenced to 20 years in prison Wednesday after being convicted for attempting to steal trade secrets from U.S. aviation and aerospace companies.

Federal Judge Timothy Black presided over the trial, which took place in U.S. District Court in Cincinnati. It’s a lesser sentence than the 25 years that federal prosecutors sought after a jury convicted Xu in November 2021.