Espionage Under the Guise of Commerce: Chinese Vendor Jailed for Leaking Railway Data to Foreign Entities

Chinese seller imprisoned for sharing train data with overseas parties: National Security Agency

Agency reports that a Chinese firm was lured by a profitable deal to collect data, which was later 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 startling cases.

According to reports, a Chinese IT firm, which was not named, secured a business deal at the end of 2020. This agreement involved gathering data on electronic signals across China's extensive railway system. The contract was awarded by an international company, which previously specialized in market research before branching out to offer technical support in the Chinese railway sector.

The ministry stated 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 contractors. It further revealed that this foreign company served numerous clients, among them foreign intelligence entities, defense and military groups, and government agencies.

The report indicates that the Chinese firm understood the potential hidden agendas of the international company but was drawn in by the promise of a profitable deal. Consequently, it proceeded to purchase and set up the equipment as stipulated in the contract from the overseas party. The Chinese company also gathered data at specific sites and carried out mobile testing and data collection across various cities and along designated high-speed railway routes, fulfilling the requirements of the foreign client.

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