US ties activities of arrested Chinese military officer to those by defendant in Boston case
- Analysts say the cases, both involving researchers at universities, suggest a coordinated pattern of spying
- Indictments reflect US efforts to prevent advanced technologies developed in America from transfer to China’s military
US federal prosecutors in Los Angeles have tied the activities of an arrested Chinese military officer conducting research at the University of California to that of a Chinese defendant charged in another high-profile case, in what Washington sees as a coordinated pattern of spying.
The indictments reflect the US government’s efforts to prevent advanced technologies developed in America from being transferred to China’s military, as lawmakers and government officials all the way up to President Donald Trump warn of Beijing’s attempts to undermine national security.
“PLA Lieutenant, Yanqing Ye, was indicted in the District of Massachusetts with, among other things, visa fraud and acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government,” according to the indictment, which was also signed by Christopher Grigg, chief of the Department of Justice’s national security division.
Those indictments were announced together with that of Charles Lieber, the chairman of Harvard University's chemistry department, who was charged with lying about his participation in China’s Thousand Talents Plan.