Wenheng Zhao, a US naval officer, entered a guilty plea and was given a 27-month jail sentence for providing Chinese intelligence with secret material and plans.
Zhao was a petty officer assigned to the Ventura County naval facility in California.
The BBC reports that between 2021 and 2023, he provided military intelligence with operational instructions, electrical schematics, and design drawings for the radar system that was deployed in the US military installation in Okinawa, Japan.
According to US federal sources, he took bribes totaling over $14,886 between August 2021 and May 2023 in exchange.
For the US Navy to conduct operations in Asia, its base in Okinawa is essential.In order to confront China’s formidable military force, the US has declared the “Indo-Pacific” region a top security priority and has been fortifying ties there in recent years.
Zhao was born in China and became a naturalized US citizen. 2009 saw his immigration to the US; 2012 saw his naturalization; and five years later, he joined the Navy.
After his arrest in August of last year in California, he entered a guilty plea to the charges of spying in October.
On Monday, the Chinese embassy in Washington refuted the charges and stated that Zhao’s case facts were unknown to them. Additionally, it charged that the US government and the media were exaggerating espionage cases, many of which it claimed were founded on unverified accusations.
