China arrests man on charges of military espionage

BEIJING, March 25 (UPI) -- A Chinese taxi driver was charged of spying on behalf of foreign interests in the central province of Henan, according to Chinese media reports Tuesday that showed the driver, Mr. Duan, appearing on a bicycle and in his cab to make observations near Chinese military compounds.

The New York Times reported Duan, a native of Kaifeng, had a criminal record, and was running out of cash when an anonymous contact offered him money in exchange for gathering military information.

Chinese authorities are accusing the man of sending sensitive data and hand-drawn maps of military sites. In return, the driver received monthly kickbacks, about $480 a month.

The report of Duan's arrest follows a series of Chinese news media reports of online recruiting by foreign countries and organizations. Earlier in March, two men were convicted in Dalian of selling photos of Chinese military compounds.

The New York Times reported China's State Security Department was cajoling recruited Chinese to report their espionage offers by promising exemption from prosecution for some recruits.

In February, China's Central Military Commission issued a revision to guidelines for the People's Liberation Army, that addressed a growing concern over foreign espionage threats and leaks.

According to Peter Mattis of the Jamestown Foundation, the new PLA guidelines ordered heightened control of cell phones and Internet access for PLA officials.

In 2014, Chinese media reported the Ministry of State Security's Guangdong department broke an online espionage ring involving more than 40 suspects across 20 provinces.