According to an official statement released on Monday, China suspects a government official of spying for the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), AFP reported.

CIA – Central Intelligence AgencyPhoto: Shutterstock

Last month, the Asian giant launched a new anti-espionage law. This gives the government much more leeway to deal with what it deems to be a threat to national security.

The case announced Monday, which is still under investigation, involves a 39-year-old man, China’s Ministry of State Security said in a statement.

It is about an employee of an unknown ministry named Hao, the message says. It is not specified whether it is a man or a woman.

According to the Ministry of State Security, while studying in Japan, this person allegedly met an employee of the United States Embassy and formed a “close relationship” with him.

An embassy employee later introduced Hao to another colleague, a CIA agent, who convinced him to spy for the American agency upon his return to China.

Hao reportedly signed a contract and trained in the United States before taking a job with the Chinese government, according to American guidelines.

The suspect allegedly “established several covert contacts with and provided information to CIA personnel in China,” the statement said.

Earlier in August, the Ministry of State Security released details of the first case, accusing a 52-year-old Chinese national named Zeng of spying for the United States.

The statement said the individual was in Italy for training, where he befriended a CIA agent stationed in Rome.

That agent convinced Zeng to provide “confidential information about the Chinese military” in exchange for “huge compensation” and help so Zeng and his family could settle in the United States, the Ministry of State Security said.

Beijing’s recent revision of an anti-espionage law has raised concerns among many American companies doing business in China amid tensions between the two countries.

Under the new law, the unauthorized acquisition of “documents, data, materials and items related to national security and interests” can now be considered espionage. (Agerpress)