The Chinese Ministry of Security stated on Monday that China is investigating a citizen accused of espionage on behalf of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. The ministry added that the accused, surnamed Hao and 39 years old, was one of its cadres who went to Japan to study and was recruited there. The ministry did not disclose the gender of the accused.
The announcement came less than two weeks after the ministry discovered another citizen suspected of being involved in espionage for U.S. intelligence after being recruited in Italy. The U.S. embassies in Beijing and Tokyo have not yet responded to requests for comment from Reuters.
The ministry stated that Hao met a U.S. embassy official named Ted while reviewing a visa application. It noted that Ted invited Hao to dinner parties, gave him gifts, and asked for his help in writing a report, promising to pay him for it.
The ministry indicated that Ted introduced Hao to a colleague named Li Jun before his tenure at the embassy in Japan ended, and afterwards, Li and Hao maintained a "cooperative relationship." Before Hao completed his studies, Li revealed that he was an employee of the CIA in Tokyo and "incited Hao to rebel," asking him to return to China to work for a "core and highly important unit."
Hao signed a spying agreement and accepted evaluation and training from the United States, according to the statement. The ministry stated that Hao worked in a national administration after returning to China "according to the requirements of U.S. intelligence," providing information to U.S. intelligence in exchange for money from the United States.
