China Sentences Former State Employee to Death for Espionage

The rare execution highlights China's intensified focus on national security under President Xi Jinping.

Zhang, a former high-level employee at a Chinese state agency, was sentenced to death for leaking classified information to foreign intelligence.
The Ministry of State Security accused Zhang of providing a significant amount of top-secret information to a foreign spy agency.
A colleague, identified as Zhu, received a six-year prison sentence for assisting Zhang.
The case underscores China's increased vigilance against espionage, with new laws expanding the definition of national security threats.
China's disclosure of espionage cases reflects ongoing tensions with Western powers over intelligence operations.