Former state-owned company manager sentenced to 6 years for espionage

A former manager of an overseas branch of a state-owned company was sentenced to six years in prison for espionage, the Sichuan provincial state security department disclosed on Tuesday.

The Chengdu Intermediate People's Court found the suspect, surnamed Wang, guilty of providing intelligence to foreign entities in exchange for immigration to a foreign country.

The case dates back to 2012 when Wang's company became entangled in a protracted international lawsuit orchestrated by a foreign intelligence agency, which accused the company of engaging in espionage activities. During the course of the trial, Wang's name emerged in the so-called "evidence" presented by the opposition, leaving the company in a disadvantageous position.

Evidence showed that Wang, in an attempt to gain the trust of the foreign intelligence agency, actively complied with their instructions. He used a management loophole within the company to provide false "evidence" and "testimonies" that falsely accused the state-owned company, resulting in significant disruptions to their international business operations. The subsequent technological embargo and restrictions imposed by the foreign country caused substantial losses to China's relevant industrial chains.

State security agents later conducted a search at Wang's residence in Chengdu, revealing substantial documents related to the company. Among them, 14 documents were classified as intelligence under the law.

In addition to the six-year prison sentence, Wang was deprived of political rights for two years and had personal assets worth 500,000 yuan confiscated.