Chinese National Pleads Guilty to Plot to Send US Military Technology to China - Vision Times
There has been a new development in a case involving the illegal export of U. S. military communications technology. On Aug. 10, 29-year-old Chinese citizen Dingwei Chen pleaded guilty in a U. S. federal court,. . .
There has been a new development in a case involving the illegal export of U. S. military communications technology. On Aug. 10, 29-year-old Chinese citizen Dingwei Chen pleaded guilty in a U. S. federal court, admitting that he attempted to violate export-control regulations by sending tightly restricted military communications equipment to China. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 19 and faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The U. S. Department of Justice said in astatementon Monday that the case did not involve the simple purchase of ordinary electronic products. Chen and his collaborators in China targeted military-grade communications systems manufactured by U. S. companies including L3Harris, Viasat, and Comtech, including satellite modems and radio equipment. These products are subject to U. S. military export-control regulations. Exporting them overseas requires prior approval from the U. S. State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC), and exports of military-related products to China are subject to particularly stringent restrictions. “Chen tried to divert sensitive U. S. military technologies to the People’s Republic of China, technologies the PRC could have used against us in the future,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg in the statement. SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE NEWSLETTERFor the best of our weekly content！There is something wrong, please try again laterSuccessYou are now signed up for our newsletterSuccessCheck your email to complete sign upProsecutor’s evidenceProsecutors’ evidenceshows that the procurement efforts can be traced back to at least March 2025. In the months that followed, Dingwei Chen and others continued looking for ways to obtain the equipment and contacted overseas arms dealers, hoping to acquire the export-controlled U. S. -made communications systems through unofficial channels. The real challenge was how to circumvent U. S. regulations and get the equipment to China once they had obtained it. To this end, Chen and his accomplices considered several different routes. At one point, they considered having the goods transferred through Switzerland. They also explored taking delivery on Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands, and later identified Mexico as a potential transit point. Their aim was to use a third country or territory to alter the shipment route before ultimately sending the equipment to China. These constantly changing shipping plans also became important evidence for U. S. prosecutors in determining that those involved intended to circumvent export controls. “Today’s guilty plea underscores the serious consequences for those who attempt to illegally procure, export, or transfer sensitive U. S. -origin military equipment or technology in violation of our nation’s export control laws,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas of U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New Jersey, according to the release. READ MORE:CCP-Linked Former Chinese Police Official Buys Building 650 Feet From White HouseChina Accused of Using Academic Exchanges to Target German ResearchersChu Cheng-chi Indicted in Suspected Chinese Espionage CaseTight secrecy maintainedMeanwhile, the parties deliberately increased the level of secrecy in their communications and payment methods. Investigators found that those involved communicated through encrypted messaging applications, discussing details such as the quantity to be purchased, payment methods, and shipping arrangements. The payments also left a trail. Court documents show that Chen’s side initially paid a deposit of more than $40,000. They later considered using cryptocurrency to complete the transaction and discussed storing and transferring the funds through cold wallets in an effort to reduce the risk of the transactions being traced. What drew even greater attention from prosecutors was that the equipment may have been only the beginning of a larger procurement plan. In communications, Chen reportedly mentioned that the 10 satellite modems were merely the first transaction and that he had sufficient funds to continue purchasing military equipment worth tens of millions of dollars. With Chen’s guilty plea, the case has now moved from the investigation and trial stages to sentencing. Federal Judge David Sam, who is presiding over the case, is scheduled to issue the sentence on Oct. 19. Chen faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security at the U. S. Department of Justice, said Chen had attempted to transfer sensitive military technology to China, creating a risk that the technology could eventually be used against the United States.