美國以經濟間諜罪名起訴六名中國公民

US authorities have charged three Tianjin University professors and three other Chinese citizens with economic espionage, claiming that they stole sensitive US technology to help Chinese universities and government-controlled companies.

美國有關部門已對包括天津大學三名教授在內的六名中國公民提出刑事控罪，指控他們從事經濟間諜活動，稱他們竊取敏感的美國技術以幫助中國的大學以及受政府控制的企業。

One of the six defendants, Professor Hao Zhang, was arrested on Saturday when he arrived at Los Angeles International Airport to speak at a conference. The other suspects are still in China.

六名被告之一的張浩教授在上週六抵達洛杉磯國際機場、準備在一個會議上發言時被逮捕。其他犯罪嫌疑人仍在中國。

Mr Zhang and fellow professor Wei Pang are accused of stealing information about a technology used in smartphones, tablets and GPS devices from their US employers, Skyworks Solutions in Massachusetts andAvago Technologies in Colorado, respectively. The technology also has military applications.

張浩和同校教授龐慰被指控從其美國僱主——分別是馬薩諸塞州的思佳訊通訊技術公司(Skyworks Solutions)和科羅拉多州的安華高科技公司(Avago Technologies)——竊取應用在智能手機、平板電腦和GPS設備的一種技術的資料。這種技術也有軍事用途。

The charges represent the latest sign of the US ratcheting up pressure on China’s alleged efforts to spy on US companies and steal their trade secrets through cyber attacks or traditional espionage techniques.

這些刑事指控是美國對中國加大壓力的最新跡象，美方稱，中國通過網絡攻擊或傳統的間諜手法，對美國企業從事間諜活動，竊取它們的商業祕密。

The charges follow the indictment of five Chinese soldiers in 2014 for cyber attacks and economic espionage on US companies. Tuesday’s announcement marks the 11th time that prosecutors have levelled economic espionage charges since the related law was passed in 1996.

提出這些刑事指控之前，美方已在2014年對五名中國軍人提出刑事控罪，指控他們對美國企業發動網絡攻擊和從事經濟間諜活動。週二的消息標誌着，自1996年通過相關法律以來，美國檢方第11次提出經濟間諜控罪。

In 2014, a consultant called Walter Liew was found guilty of 22 counts of economic espionage for stealing information about how DuPont creates a white pigment found in paper and plastic products, to sell to a Chinese company.

2014年，美籍華裔顧問劉元軒(Walter Liew)被判22項經濟間諜罪名成立，他被控竊取杜邦公司(DuPont)一種白色顏料的製造工藝，將其轉賣給一家中國公司。

In the latest case, the stolen trade secrets include recipes, source code, specifications, presentations, design layouts and other documents, according to the 32-count indictment that was recently unsealed.

在最新的案子中，按照剛剛公佈的包含32項罪名的刑事起訴書，被竊取的商業祕密包括配方、源代碼、規格、演示、設計佈局和其他文件。

An attorney for Mr Zhang did not respond to a request for comment. Skyworks and Avago were not immediately available for comment.

張浩的一名律師沒有回覆記者的置評請求。記者一時聯繫不上思佳訊通訊技術公司和安華高科技公司的內部人員請其置評。

Messrs Zhang and Pang met when they were studying the technology, known as thin-film bulk acoustic resonator or FBAR, as electrical engineering doctoral students in California. Their research was funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, which creates technology used by the US military and national security agencies.

張浩和龐慰是在他們作爲電氣工程博士生在加利福尼亞研究涉案技術——薄膜體聲波諧振器(FBAR)技術時認識的。當時他們的研究經費來自美國國防高級研究計劃局(DARPA)，該局負責研發美國軍方和國家安全機構所用的技術。

FBAR technology, which filters wireless signals to receive and send only what is intended by the user, is also used in military and defence products.

FBAR技術可被用來過濾無線信號，以便只收發用戶需要的信號。它也被用於軍用和國防產品。

Professors Pang and Zhang, along with others, set up a business plan and pitched Chinese universities on manufacturing FBAR technology in China, the indictment said.

起訴書稱，龐慰、張浩等人擬定了一個商業計劃，向中國的大學兜售在中國製造FBAR技術的想法。

“The defendants leveraged their access to and knowledge of sensitive US technologies to illegally obtain and share US trade secrets with [China] for economic advantage,” said Assistant Attorney General John Carlin.

“被告利用其能夠獲取敏感美國技術的便利，及其對此類技術的知識，非法獲得並與（中國）分享美國的商業祕密，以獲取經濟優勢，”美國司法部官員約翰•卡林(John Carlin)表示。

In 2008, officials from Tianjin University, a Chinese Ministry of Education institution, travelled to California to meet Messrs Pang and Zhang, after which the university decided to establish a FBAR fabrication facility in China, prosecutors charged.

檢方指控，2008年，隸屬中國教育部的天津大學的一批官員前往美國加州與龐慰和張浩會面，之後，該校決定在中國成立一家FBAR製造廠。

The following year, Messrs Pang and Zhang resigned from Avago and Skyworks to become professors at Tianjin University, which formed a joint venture named ROFS Microsystem with the two men and others.

次年，龐慰和張浩分別從安華高科技公司和思佳訊通訊技術公司辭職，成爲天津大學的教授，該校與龐、張等人成立了一家合資企業，稱爲諾思（天津）微系統公司(ROFS Microsystem)。

The stolen trade secrets helped the university establish a state of the art FBAR fabrication facility and to obtain contracts for providing FBARs to commercial and military entities, according to the indictment.

起訴書稱，被竊取的商業機密幫助天津大學建立了一家先進的FBAR製造廠，獲得了向商業和軍方機構提供FBAR器件的合同。

The other Chinese citizens who were indicted include Tianjin professor Jinping Chen, who is also a board director at ROFS Microsystems, and Huisui Zhang, who studied with Messrs Pang and Zhang in California.

被起訴的其他中國公民包括天津大學教授陳金平（音），他也是諾思（天津）微系統公司的董事會成員；以及張會遂（音），他曾與張浩和龐慰一起在加州學習。

Also charged were Chong Zhou, a Tianjin graduate student and a design engineer at ROFS Microsystem, and Zhao Gang, general manager of ROFS Microsystem.

另兩名被告是天津大學研究生周衝（音）和諾思（天津）微系統公司總經理趙剛（音），周衝也是該公司的一名設計工程師。

“The conduct reveals a methodical and relentless effort by foreign interests to obtain and exploit sensitive and valuable US technology through the use of individuals operating within the United States,” said David Johnson, the FBI Special Agent in Charge.

“本案的行爲揭示了境外利益有條不紊和不懈的努力，他們藉助在美國境內活動的個人，獲取、利用敏感和有價值的美國技術，”美國聯邦調查局特工主管戴維•約翰遜(David Johnson)表示。