Espionage on the Rails: Chinese Vendor Jailed for Selling Railway Data to Foreign Entities Amid National Security Breach

Chinese Seller Imprisoned for Sharing Railway Information with Foreign Nationals: State Security Ministry Report

The ministry reported that a Chinese firm was lured by a profitable agreement to collect data that was subsequently classified as 'intelligence information.'

Time: 05

China carried out the execution of a scientist accused of espionage in 2016, as highlighted in a documentary that unveiled 10 astonishing cases.

The report mentions that in late 2020, an anonymous Chinese IT firm secured a business deal to gather electronic signal data across China's extensive railway systems. This contract was with an overseas company that previously specialized in market research before branching into the Chinese railway sector to offer technical support services.

The ministry reported that the overseas firm, hindered by Beijing's Covid restrictions from dispatching its staff to China, delegated the tasks to local Chinese contractors. It also discovered that the company served numerous clients, among them foreign intelligence bodies, defense and military sectors, and government agencies.

The report indicated that the Chinese firm knew the foreign firm could have hidden agendas, yet driven by the appealing contract offer, proceeded to purchase and set up the equipment as stipulated in the foreign company's contract. Furthermore, it gathered data at designated spots and carried out both mobile testing and data collection across various cities and along specific high-speed railway routes as demanded by the foreign client.

The department reported that the initiative amassed 500 gigabytes of data over a month, covering signals from Internet of Things transmissions, mobile and railway communications, and secure networks.