Espionage Under the Guise of Commerce: Chinese Vendor Jailed and Shocking Spying Cases Unveiled

Chinese seller imprisoned for distributing rail information to international parties, reports the State Security Ministry.

The ministry claims a Chinese firm was lured by a profitable deal to collect data, which 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 uncovered ten startling cases.

A report stated that in late 2020, an undisclosed Chinese IT firm secured a business deal to gather electronic signal information across China's extensive railway systems. This contract was with an international company, which previously specialized in market research prior to venturing into China's railway sector to offer technical support services.

The ministry reported that the overseas firm, unable to dispatch its staff to China due to Covid-related restrictions imposed by Beijing, delegated the tasks to local Chinese vendors. It was also discovered that this foreign company served a wide clientele, comprising foreign intelligence services, defense and military entities, and various government agencies.

The report indicated that the Chinese firm was cognizant of potential hidden agendas from the foreign company, yet, lured by the promise of a profitable agreement, proceeded to purchase and deploy hardware as stipulated in the contract from the foreign entity. It gathered information at designated sites and carried out both stationary and mobile data collection across various cities and along high-speed railway routes, as directed by the overseas client.

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