• Jinchao Wei, former US Navy sailor, sentenced to 16 years for espionage.
• Convicted of selling technical manuals and military secrets to a Chinese officer.
• Received over $12,000 for the sensitive information shared.
• Wei moved conversations to a secure app despite awareness of potential espionage.
• Sentenced alongside another sailor involved in similar activities.

A former US Navy sailor, Jinchao Wei, has been sentenced to more than 16 years in prison after being convicted of selling sensitive military information to a Chinese intelligence officer. A federal judge in San Diego sentenced Wei, 25, to 200 months in prison following a jury conviction in August on six charges, including espionage. Wei was compensated over $12,000 for the secrets he disclosed related to naval operations, according to South China Morning Post, Al Jazeera, and CBS News.

Wei, who served as an engineer on the amphibious assault ship USS Essex, was one of two sailors charged with providing military information to China in August 2023. His co-defendant, Wenheng Zhao, was sentenced to over two years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy and receiving bribes. US officials have long raised alarms about the threat of espionage from China, particularly involving military and sensitive governmental information, according to South China Morning Post and Al Jazeera.

Wei was lured into espionage through social media in 2022 by an individual pretending to be a naval enthusiast and linked to the state-owned China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation. Evidence revealed that Wei expressed concern about the contact, calling it "extremely suspicious," but chose to continue communication through a more secure messaging platform. Reports indicate that over 18 months, he sent various materials to the intelligence officer, including photographs and operational details about the USS Essex, according to CBS News and Al Jazeera.

The materials he sold included 60 technical and operational manuals detailing weapon systems and operational protocols, which were laden with export control warnings. Wei held a security clearance that afforded him access to sensitive naval information, enhancing the gravity of his offenses. In his defense, Wei's attorney argued that Wei's actions stemmed from naivety and a desire for financial gain rather than a true allegiance to China, a statement that found little sympathy in light of the charges, according to South China Morning Post and CBS News.