Beijing, Manila Wrangle Over Arrest of Alleged Chinese Spy

The Chinese engineer was allegedly collecting sensitive information while posing as a surveyor for a self-driving car company.

U.S. Marines arrive in an amphibious assault vehicle during the amphibious landing exercises of the U.S.–Philippines war games at a military camp in Zambales Province, Philippines, on April 11, 2019. Reuters/Eloisa Lopez

A war of words broke out between the Philippines and the Chinese regime last week after a Chinese engineer was arrested for allegedly spying on the Philippines’ defense capabilities, including sites jointly maintained with the United States.

Manila’s National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested the Chinese national and two Filipinos, who are alleged accomplices, on Jan. 17 for “illegal surveillance and spying activities,” according to a statement released by the NBI on Jan. 20.

The NBI’s special task force and its cybercrime division received an intelligence report in December 2024, alerting them to a group of Chinese citizens who were allegedly obtaining sensitive information in the guise of autonomous vehicle development.