A Chinese national who traveled to the US on a student visa and later enlisted in the army reserves was on Tuesday arrested in Chicago, and accused of helping Beijing attempt to recruit US scientists and engineers.
Ji Chaoqun (季超群) was allegedly tasked with providing Chinese intelligence with biographical information about eight US citizens — some of whom were US defense contractors.
The 27-year-old, who first arrived in Chicago in 2013 to study electrical engineering on a student visa, was charged with one count of knowingly acting as an agent of a foreign government without prior notification to the US Attorney General.
According to a court affidavit, Ji was working at the direction of a “high-level intelligence officer” in the Chinese Ministry of State Security, which “handles civilian intelligence collection and is responsible for counterintelligence and foreign intelligence, as well as political security.”
All eight of the people Ji allegedly researched were naturalized US citizens who were born in Taiwan or China, authorities said.
The targets either currently worked or were recently retired from a career in the science and technology industry.
An affidavit filed in federal court by an FBI investigator specializing in espionage claims that among the people targeted was an engineer at one of “the world’s top aircraft engine suppliers for both commercial and military aircraft.”
After one of Ji’s handlers was arrested, he met with US undercover agents in April and May, and admitted to his work, which included collecting background checks, the affidavit said.
He allegedly told the undercover agents that “they just wanted me to purchase some documents on their behalf. Their reason was just because it was inconvenient for them to make payments from China.”
Ji enlisted in the army reserves, according to the US Attorney’s office, but failed to disclose his foreign contacts to the military.
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