Chinese national pleads guilty in U.S. court to stealing trade secrets

A Chinese national pleaded guilty on Thursday in a U.S. court to conspiring to steal trade secrets from agricultural company Monsanto to benefit the Chinese government, the U.S. Justice Department said.

Xiang Haitao, who was employed by Monsanto and a subsidiary from 2008 to 2017, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit economic espionage and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 7, the Justice Department said. He faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.