Chinese Spy Extradited to US for Attempt to Steal Tech from Leading US Aviation Firms

Xu Yanjun, a deputy division director within China’s primary intelligence agency, is being charged for his scheme to steal jet engine tech.

A man works with a jet engine at General Electric's aviation engine overhaul facility in Petropolis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on June 8, 2016. YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP/Getty Images

A Chinese spy working for China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) has been charged with four counts of conspiring to commit economic espionage and steal trade secrets from leading U.S. aviation and aerospace companies.

According to a U.S. Department of Justice announcement on Oct. 10, Xu Yanjun was a deputy division director within MSS, China’s primary intelligence agency.