Chinese National In US Pleads Guilty To Economic Espionage. Know About The Charges

Federal officials found Xiang in possession of copies of a proprietary predictive algorithm developed by Monsanto as he was waiting to board a flight to China in June 2017

(File Photo/ Getty Images)

Washington: In a latest act of espionage, a Chinese national pleaded guilty on Thursday in Missouri federal court to conspiring to steal trade secrets from agricultural company Monsanto to benefit the Chinese government.

"Xiang Haitao, 44, a Chinese national formerly residing in Chesterfield, Missouri, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit economic espionage," the US justice department said.

Chinese National Pleads Guilty to Economic Espionage Conspiracy https://t.co/XgKlsu2RkY

— National Security Division, U.S. Dept of Justice (@DOJNatSec) January 6, 2022

What’s the case?

Haitao, who was employed by Monsanto and a subsidiary, The Climate Corporation, from 2008 to 2017, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit economic espionage. 

Xiang worked as an imaging scientist before leaving the job and flying to China. He continued his trip to China where he worked for the Chinese Academy of Science's Institute of Soil Science, but got arrested after his return to the United States. 

Federal officials found Xiang in possession of copies of a proprietary predictive algorithm developed by Monsanto as he was waiting to board a flight to China in June 2017, according to the statement.

Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department's National Security Division said: "Despite Xiang's agreements to protect Monsanto's intellectual property and repeated training on his obligations to do so, Xiang has now admitted that he stole a trade secret from Monsanto, transferred it to a memory card and attempted to take it to the People's Republic of China for the benefit of Chinese government."

The accused is scheduled to be sentenced on April 7, the Justice Department said. He faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.