The United States has accused China of carrying out an extensive campaign of espionage and repeated cyberattacks inside the United States.
A 25-year-old Chinese-born man will likely spend the rest of his life in jail—and he can thank his mother!
Jinchao Wei, also known as Patrick Wei, was convicted in California on six charges, “including espionage, conspiracy to commit espionage and unlawful export of classified data,” according to a statement from the Southern District of California’s US Attorney’s Office on Thursday. The statement noted that Wei had been acquitted of one charge of naturalization fraud—which, if he had been convicted, might have resulted in the loss of his citizenship.
Wei, a naturalized US citizen serving in the US Navy, passed information about the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD-2) to China.
“The defendant’s actions represent an egregious betrayal of the trust placed in him as a member of the US military. By trading military secrets to China for cash, he jeopardized not only the lives of his fellow sailors but also the security of the entire nation and our allies,” said US Attorney Adam Gordon.
Wei will be sentenced on December 1. The statutory maximum penalty for the Espionage Act counts is life imprisonment.
Wei Leaked Classified Ship Documents to China
Wei received more than $12,000 over 18 months from March 2022 to August 2023 for sharing the information with a Chinese intelligence officer, whom he later called his “Big Brother Andy.”
Wei, who served as a machinist’s mate on the San Diego-based warship, had been accused of providing as many as 60 manuals containing classified technical and mechanical data about various ships, as well as details about the number and training of Marines during an upcoming exercise to the Chinese handler.
What makes this case all the more noteworthy is that his mother actively encouraged him to work with the Chinese intelligence officer, suggesting it would help him land a future job with the Chinese government—even as he was being naturalized as an American citizen!
Evidence showed that Wei clearly understood he was committing espionage by sharing the classified information with China.
“Other Chinese serving in the US Navy are still trying to figure out how to make extra money, and driving cabs. Whereas I am just leaking secrets,” Wei texted his mother, according to a report from the BBC.
She reportedly responded: “Good job!”
Wei was arrested in August 2023 on the rarely used espionage charge.
China Keeps Recruiting US Soldiers as Spies
Wei is hardly the only active-duty US military servicemember to be charged with spying for China.
In March, the US Department of Justice (DoJ) charged Jian Zhao and Li Tian, both active-duty US Army soldiers stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, and former soldier Ruoyu Duan, with gathering and sending sensitive information on the M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle and Stryker eight-wheeled armored fighting vehicles to individuals in China.
It was also nearly two years ago that Petty Officer Wenheng Zhao, aka Thomas Zhao, pleaded guilty to charges of bribery and conspiracy. Zhao, who was arrested at the same time as Wei, had shared information on US radar at military bases in Okinawa and operational security (OPSEC) information about US military exercises in the Indo-Pacific, for which he received around $14,800. He was later sentenced to 27 months in prison in January 2024 and fined $5,000.
The United States has accused China of carrying out an extensive campaign of espionage and repeated cyberattacks inside the United States. Predictably, the Chinese foreign ministry has rejected these allegations, categorically denying its involvement in espionage.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image: Shutterstock / Andrey_Popov.
