Trial Starts for China "Spy"

It's Red Scare week all around. There was the news yesterday about China's big bad nuclear carrier, then there was the report that defense company ITT got hammered with a $100 million fine for selling night vision equipment that ended up in China (oops). And now, there's an engineer on trial for selling secrets to China about the U.S. Navy's next-generation destroyer (among other nifty naval technologies).

This last item is really the most interesting, 'cause it's an old-fashioned spy case; no "trade secrets" or "leaks" here. The U.S. government is alleging that Tai Chi Mak, a naturalized U.S. citizen, has been spying for China for years, according to the AP:

*The government alleges that Mak used his position at Anaheim, Calif. defense contractor Power Paragon to steal some of the most advanced and closely guarded naval technology in the world, including silent-running propulsion systems that can make submarines virtually undetectable. *

*Defense attorneys argue that the 66-year-old, who was born in China, is a devoted American who would never harm his adopted country. *

*Mak, an American citizen since 1985, has been charged with conspiracy to export U.S. defense secrets to China, possession of property in aid of a foreign government and failure to register as a foreign agent. If convicted, he could get more than 50 years in prison. *

*Prosecutors say Mak worked for China from 1983 until his arrest two years ago. *

During a search of Mak's home, investigators found restricted documents on the DDX Destroyer, an advanced technology warship, and lists in Chinese asking him for information about torpedoes, electromagnetic artillery systems and technology used to detect incoming missiles, according to court documents.

The trial could prove interesting on one key point: a unique insight into how Chinese agents operate in the United States. As one new report notes:

Only days before Tai Mak's arrest, agents heard him talk on the telephone with “Mr. Pu” in China. Mak said he was with “Red Flower of North America,” traveling to Guangzhou and bringing his “assistant.” In court papers, prosecutors note that many Chinese intelligence units use the names of flowers, such as Winter Chrysanthemum.

The stuff of spy thrillers, for sure.