Chinese official gets life sentence for selling state secrets to pay crypto debts

The young official's crypto losses exposed a breach in China's national security protocols.

Key Takeaways

• A former civil servant in a confidential unit has received life sentence for espionage linked to crypto debts.
• Wang exchanged confidential information for over 1 million yuan in crypto transactions.

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A Chinese public official has been sentenced to life imprisonment for selling state secrets to foreign entities to cover crypto investment losses, China’s Ministry of State Security announced on November 8.

The official, named Wang, reportedly faced substantial debts incurred from unsuccessful crypto investments. In a desperate bid to alleviate his financial burden, he turned to an online forum seeking part-time work, inadvertently revealing his status as a civil servant.

The decision opened the door for foreign operatives who contacted him with offers of substantial remuneration in exchange for information about his confidential unit’s production tasks and research progress.

Wang, described as a promising young man by his colleagues and family, agreed to provide top-secret and confidential state secrets to foreign agencies in exchange for payment.

Initially, he offered a small amount of internal information, but as he became increasingly entangled in the scheme, he leaked more sensitive information. The former civil servant ultimately received over 1 million yuan in crypto.

The People’s Court sentenced him to life imprisonment for espionage and stripped him of all political rights.

The ministry said Wang’s unit failed to strictly implement confidentiality management systems and protective measures, creating opportunities for the security breach. National security agencies have ordered the unit to undertake corrective measures.

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