Two US Navy men arrested on China spying charges

LOS ANGELES, Aug 04 (AFP): Two serving members of the US Navy have been arrested on suspicion of spying for China, the Department of Justice said Thursday.
The men are suspecting of selling secret information to Beijing that included manuals for warships and their weapons systems, as well as blueprints for a radar system and plans for a huge US military exercise.
"These arrests are a reminder of the relentless, aggressive efforts of the People's Republic of China to undermine our democracy and threaten those who defend it," said Suzanne Turner of the FBI's Coun-terintelligence Division, which was involved in the sting.
China "compromised enlisted personnel to secure sensitive military information that could seriously jeopardize US national security."
In a press release, the Department of Justice said sailor Jinchao Wei, who served on the amphibious assault ship the USS Essex in San Diego, had handed over dozens of documents, photos and videos detailing the operation of ships and their systems.
These included technical and mechanical manuals that dealt with the weaponry of his own vessel. The 22-year-old, who is alleged to have been paid thousands of dollars for the information, faces possible life in jail if convicted.