 China's Foreign Ministry spokesman dismissed U.S. allegations of Chinese spying as "Cold War thinking" and said the arrests of four Chinese nationals on espionage charges were "groundless."
"We hope and we require the United States to stop (this) groundless accusation, which does not help the mutual trust, relationship and friendship between the two countries," said Liu Jianchao. "This is not the first time ... It is time for this to end."
Yeah, doing things to harm mutual trust is a bad thing. Don't you agree?
A U.S. Justice Department official said Monday Chinese espionage was approaching "Cold War levels" after a Defense Department weapons system analyst and three Chinese nationals were arrested and charged in two espionage-related cases.
In a case brought by federal prosecutors in Virginia, a civilian analyst for the Defense Security Cooperation Agency is accused of selling to two Chinese associates classified information detailing U.S. weapons sales to Taiwan.
In a separate case, California prosecutors arrested and charged a long-time employee and contractor for Boeing and Rockwell of providing to Beijing secrets dealing with the Space Shuttle and several other sensitive military aircraft and rocket programs.
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Wainstein, in a news conference announcing the arrests and charges, twice cited congressional testimony that concluded "aggressive" Chinese government espionage program have reached levels not seen since the Cold War with the Soviet Union.
"It's a threat to our national security and to our economic position in the world, a threat that is posed by the relentless efforts of foreign intelligence services to penetrate our security systems and steal our most sensitive military technology and information," Wainstein said.
So why do you keep hiring them, dumbass?
In the Virginia case, officials charge that Gregg Bergersen, 51, of Alexandria, Virginia, sold highly classified information to Tai Shen Kuo, 58, a naturalized citizen who resides in New Orleans. Kuo then allegedly handed the information to Yu Xin Kang, 33, a lawful resident alien also living in New Orleans. Kang in turn allegedly gave the information to a spy for the Chinese government.
Meanwhile, in Santa Ana, California, a long-time defense industry employee and contractor was scheduled to appear in court for allegedly providing military secrets to Beijing.
"A document says he did it out of loyalty to the 'motherland'," said U.S. Attorney Thomas O'Brien.
Well, let's see what that loyalty buys you now.
O'Brien said Dongfan "Greg" Chung, 72, of Orange, California, a naturalized U.S. citizen, had worked for Rockwell, Boeing and a Boeing contractor for more than 30 years.
Duh. Too PC to say 'no' even back in '72? Looks like he got his citizenship after the requisite five years and went right to 'work'.
"Chung made multiple trips to the PRC (People's Republic of China) to deliver lectures on technology involving the space shuttle and other programs, and during those trips he met with officials and agents of the PRC government," O'Brien said. Chung also allegedly provided information on the C-17 military transport and the Delta IV rocket. |
A Taiwan-born US national who admitted passing US military secrets to China has been sentenced to more than 15 years in a US prison.