China Imposes Rare Death Sentence in Espionage Crackdown

A former Chinese state employee, identified as Zhang, faces a rare death sentence for allegedly leaking state secrets to foreign spies. The case highlights China's intensifying anti-espionage efforts amid growing national security tensions. Zhang reportedly succumbed to financial temptation, becoming entangled with foreign intelligence agencies.

A former employee of a Chinese state agency has been handed a rare death sentence for leaking classified information, according to the Ministry of State Security. The ex-employee, named Zhang, was accused of providing top-secret data to foreign espionage agencies, threatening China's national security.

The ministry described Zhang as a core insider privy to a significant volume of state secrets during his tenure. Post-employment, he became a key target for foreign intelligence agencies, succumbing to financial lures and turning into what the ministry called a 'puppet' in their control.

Chinese legislators recently expanded anti-espionage laws, complicating cross-border information exchanges. In a separate incident, Australian writer Yang Hengjun received a suspended death sentence in a similar case. Zhang's penalty, however, comes without suspension, showcasing the severity of China's crackdown on espionage.

(With inputs from agencies.)