An American army intelligence analyst, Sergeant Corbin Schultz, admitted on Wednesday to leaking highly sensitive defense information to China, including documents detailing strategies for defending Taiwan.
Schultz, who held a top-secret security clearance, was arrested in March at Fort Campbell, a military base on the Kentucky-Tennessee border.
Schultz pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to gather and disclose national defense information, exporting technical data related to defense materials without authorization, and bribing a public official.
According to court documents, Schultz leaked dozens of sensitive US military documents to an individual residing in Hong Kong, who is believed to have ties to the Chinese government.
In exchange for this information, Schultz received $42,000.
The leaked documents included assessments on the lessons learned by the US military from the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia, and how these could be applied in the defense of Taiwan.
Other documents detailed Chinese military tactics and preparations, as well as U.S. military training exercises conducted in South Korea and the Philippines.
Additionally, Schultz disclosed technical information related to the HH-60 helicopter, the F-22 fighter jet, the U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, and various missile systems.
Robert Wells, the Executive Assistant Director for the National Security Branch of the FBI, emphasized that the Chinese government aggressively targets US military personnel and national security information, but vowed that US authorities will do everything in their power to protect such information from hostile foreign governments.
Schultz now faces a lengthy prison sentence, potentially spanning several decades. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 23, 2025.
His arrest follows the detainment of two US Navy personnel in California last year on charges of espionage for China, one of whom was sentenced to 27 months in prison after pleading guilty.
This case highlights ongoing concerns over national security and the persistent efforts by foreign governments, particularly China, to infiltrate US military and defense establishments.
