The Ministry of State Security, China’s main anti-espionage agency, claimed on Monday that it has arrested an officer which believes a spy for the CIA.
Chinese citizen accused of spying for CIA arrested by the ministry of state security (Photo: CNN)
According to the report by the Ministry of State Security, a 39-year-old official called Hao was recruited by the US Central Intelligence Agency to work as an American spy while studying in Japan. However, it did not specify Hao’s gender or the ministry for which he worked.
In a recent published article by South China Morning Post, China rarely officially names other groups or governments, but this is the second alleged espionage instance this month in which the Ministry of State Security has openly linked to the CIA.
The news came less than two weeks after the Ministry of State Security revealed that another individual had been recruited in Italy to spy for the CIA. The US embassies in Beijing and Tokyo did not immediately reply to demands for comment from Reuters.
According to the Ministry of State Security, Hao met a U.S. embassy official known as “Ted” while working on a visa application. The Ministry of State Security also said that he invited Hao to dinners, gave him gifts, and asked for Hao’s assistance in writing a paper that Ted promised to pay for.
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According to the statement, Hao signed an espionage agreement, receiving evaluation and training from the United States.
According to Inquirer, as per the Ministry of State Security, Hao returned to work in a national department “according to the requirements of the CIA” and gave intelligence to the CIA while collecting US salary.
Relations between the US and China have deteriorated in recent years due to a variety of issues, including national security. Washington has accused China of espionage and hacking, which China denies. China has also stated that it is under attack from spies.
China called on its citizens to help with counter-espionage efforts this month, following extending its anti-spying legislation in July, which alarmed the US.
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