The first two, Zhao and Tian, were on active duty. Duan is a former soldier. They are accused of a “scheme to send classified data, missile documents to China” (Washington Post, March 7, 2025)
Sergeant Jian Zhao is alleged to have sold to Duan or a contact in China over twenty U.S. government hard drives and military documents giving details of Indo-Pacific military exercises and missile-launcher technology.
First Lieutenant Li Tian allegedly stole information on U.S. weapons systems, “including Bradley and Stryker armored vehicles, and sold it to Duan who in turn received payment from unnamed people in China.”
Ruoyu Duan was a go-between. After making payments to Tian, Zho, and “other security clearance holders and active-duty” soldiers, Duan in turn got paid for the stolen secrets by “unnamed people in China.” Duan also seems to have introduced Zhao to a contact based in China.
We must hope that further indictments naming the “other” culprits who spied for Duan and Beijing are forthcoming.
The charges suggest a larger scheme targeting soldiers at Joint Base Lewis-McChord and sheds fresh light on how Beijing’s expansive intelligence network targets U.S. service members—cultivating individuals with security clearances through regular payments for sensitive data.
In a statement on the charges, FBI Director Kash Patel pledged to continue to root out efforts by Beijing to steal U.S. military information….
Zhao is not named in the separate Oregon indictment against Tian and Duan, but details in the documents indicate the cases are connected. Duan—who left the military in 2017 and resides in Oregon—acted as a liaison between Zhao, Tian and buyers in China seeking the stolen material, the indictments allege
Attorney General Pamela Bondi: “The defendants arrested today are accused of betraying our country, actively working to weaken America’s defense capabilities and empowering our adversaries in China. They will face swift, severe, and comprehensive justice.”
Army Counterintelligence Command Brigadier General Rhett Cox: “These arrests underscore the persistent and increasing foreign intelligence threat facing our Army and nation.” They do.
Prevention
Maybe the arrests also underscore the need for better screening of personnel and to take any other precautions that could prevent spying by U.S. soldiers.
One fact that must be taken into account: “Every Chinese company or citizen anywhere” is a potential spy for the People’s Republic of China, as journalist and retired Colonel Grant Newsham has observed. “Even people of Chinese extraction can be pressured to assist. This is especially true if they have family, business interests or anything else that ties them back to the PRC….
“China’s 2017 National Intelligence Law explicitly requires all Chinese companies and citizens to assist” with intelligence work on demand and to keep such work confidential.
This doesn’t mean that persons of Chinese ancestry with current connections to China should never be allowed to serve in the U.S. military. It does mean accepting and acting on the fact that such persons are more likely than others to be recruited by China.
Also see:
Asia Times: “Why Chinese espionage is such a great success”
