U.S. Accuses Chinese Executive of Hacking to Mine Military Data

The U.S. Justice Department has accused Su Bin, a Chinese aviation technology company owner, of illicitly obtaining substantial amounts of information from American defense contractors. The information pertains to critical American technology. This accusation marks another advancement in the U.S. government’s pursuit to criminally prosecute alleged extensive industrial espionage by China.

Su Bin, a Chinese citizen living in Canada, is alleged to be part of the hacking conduct that U.S. authorities consistently identify as a significant risk to various American enterprises.

Secretary of State, John Kerry, amid escalating cyberespionage tensions between the U.S. and China, expressed concerns about the harmful influence of hacking on U.S. businesses during his recent China trip. On the other end, China sees itself as a victim of cyberespionage. This stance came into focus when China Central Television, the national broadcaster, described a location-tracking function offered by Apple Inc. as a potential “national security issue.”

A detailed 50-page document outlining charges against Su was presented by Los Angeles prosecutors. The complaint affirms that from 2009 to 2013, Su, along with two assistants in China, infiltrated computers at Boeing Co. and other defense contractors, pilfering technology, and selling it to Chinese entities, occasionally for financial profit.

The volume or type of data that Su sold to China remains unclear. However, boasting about the theft in company memos signifies that someone benefited from this action. The U.S. government indicated no evidence suggesting that Su possessed classified information. Yet, the complaint refers to some of the data under laws restricting the export of military technology.

Boeing confirmed receiving an alert from the FBI and Air Force investigators regarding the alleged breaches in 2012 and has maintained cooperation with the authorities. Furthermore, Lockheed announced its cooperation with the U.S. government.

The first C-17 aircraft was delivered by Boeing to the U.S. Air Force in 1993. Due to a lack of recent orders, Boeing revealed its intention to halt production and decommission the Long Beach, California factory responsible for assembling the jet in 2015.

In a parallel development, Xian Aircraft Corp., controlled by the Chinese state, is working on its military cargo plane, the Y-20. Its first flights commenced last year. Western defense analysts have noticed similarities between the Y-20 and the C-17, while acknowledging shared features with other transport planes.

Security vulnerabilities related to fighter jets are of specific concern. Certain technological superiority of the U.S. appears to be gradually waning, as noticed by Pentagon officials.

As per a Justice Department spokesperson, “We remain deeply concerned about cyber-enabled theft of sensitive information. The alleged conspirators accessed U.S. defense contractors’ computer networks without authorization, stealing data related to military aircraft and weapons systems.”

source: ANDREW GROSSMAN & DANNY YADRON/Wallstreetjournal

Updated in 2025 to align with recent developments.