Two Chinese soldiers were “co-conspirators” in a plot to steal US military secrets, including designs for the F-35 stealth fighter and other warplanes, a Canadian newspaper reported Tuesday.
The unnamed pair allegedly worked with a recent immigrant to Canada now facing extradition to the United States to identify and raid secure databases of US military contractors, said the Globe and Mail newspaper, citing a prosecution summary of a cyberespionage probe launched in 2014.
It is the first publicly-stated link to the Chinese army in a hacking case that first came to light in 2013, when US officials revealed a broad Chinese campaign of espionage had gained access to designs for two dozen major weapons systems critical to missile defenses, combat aircraft and naval ships.
The US Defense Science Board, a senior advisory group with government and civilian experts, had however stopped short in its report of accusing Beijing of stealing the designs.
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According to the newspaper, the “two Chinese military officers” were allegedly directed toward email accounts of American aviation engineers by Su Bin, a 50-year-old Chinese aviation entrepreneur living in Vancouver.
Full article: Chinese soldiers linked to US military hacking case: media (Spacewar)