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USA-DIPLOMACY-ESPIONAGE-CHINE
US charges Chinese national with industrial espionage
WASHINGTON, Nov 22, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – A Chinese national and former Monsanto
employee has been charged with industrial espionage and stealing trade
secrets, US officials said.
Haitao Xiang was arrested in June 2017 at an airport with a one-way ticket
to China and in possession of software developed by the American agribusiness
giant to help farmers improve crop yields, the Department of Justice said
Thursday in a statement.
The 42-year-old had worked at Monsanto and its subsidiary The Climate
Corporation for nearly 10 years.
The indictment alleges another instance of the Chinese government
encouraging “employees to steal intellectual property from their US
employers”, Assistant Attorney General John Demers said.
Xiang faces up to 15 years in jail and a $5 million fine for each of the
three counts of espionage against him, along with hefty jail terms and fines
for three counts of theft of trade secrets.
BSS/AFP/RY/1430 hrs