• A 26-year-old US Navy sailor, Wenheng Zhao, received a 27-month jail sentence.
• Zhao, a naturalized US citizen born in China, admitted to sharing information about the US.
• From August 2021 to May 2023, Zhao received at least 14 separate bribes.

On Monday, a California district court sentenced 26-year-old US Navy sailor Wenheng Zhao to 27 months in jail for his October confession to providing sensitive military information to China in exchange for bribes. Working as a petty officer at Naval Base Ventura County in Port Hueneme, Zhao, a naturalized US citizen born in China, admitted to passing on critical details about military exercises, operational orders, and infrastructure from 2021 to 2023.

Zhao specifically shared information regarding the US Navy’s large-scale drills in the Indo-Pacific region and provided electrical diagrams and blueprints for a radar system situated at the US base on the Japanese island of Okinawa. The US Navy considers its base in Okinawa vital for its operations in Asia, a region marked as a key security priority.

Justice Department:

The Justice Department disclosed that Zhao, who held a security clearance, accessed restricted military and naval installations to collect and record information. Employing sophisticated encrypted communication methods, he transmitted the information, destroyed evidence, and concealed his association with a Chinese spy. From August 2021 to May 2023, Zhao received at least 14 separate bribes, totaling at least $14,866 (£11,650).

Zhao, who immigrated to the US in 2009, became a citizen in 2012, and enlisted in the Navy in 2017, had faced a maximum 20-year sentence. Arrested in California last August, he pleaded guilty to spying charges. No reports or details regarding his comments were provided, and authorities did not disclose the motivations behind his betrayal, beyond financial reasons.

In October, after Zhao’s guilty plea, US Justice Department Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen stated that China’s intelligence services ‘actively target clearance holders across the military, seeking to entice them with money to provide sensitive government information.’ On Monday, he reiterated the warning.

“Mr Zhao betrayed his solemn oath to defend his country and endangered those who serve in the US military,” he said.

Mr. Olsen added that US authorities were committed to combatting Chinese government efforts to “undermine our nation’s security”.

US Navy member:

Last year, authorities arrested Jinchao Wei, a 22-year-old naturalized US citizen and another member of the US Navy, around the same time as Zhao. Wei, who had served on the amphibious assault ship USS Essex, faces charges of conspiring to send national defense information to a Chinese agent. He is accused of providing China with numerous documents, photos, and videos detailing the operation of ships and their systems.

It remains unclear if the same Chinese agent allegedly contacted both men. The Chinese embassy in Washington, as of Monday, stated that it was not aware of the details of Zhao’s case. The embassy accused the US government and media of sensationalizing espionage cases, asserting that many were based on unfounded allegations.

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