China’s top spy agency, CCTV, has charged a defense institute employee with espionage for the US.

The case highlights Beijing’s increased national security, anti-spying, and anti-corruption efforts.

The employee, Hou, was sent to a US institution in 2013 and pressured to divulge Chinese state secrets.

The US intelligence officer used the company as a cover, offering Hou a consultancy position.

Hou was arrested in July 2021, and China has imprisoned numerous Chinese and international citizens for espionage in recent years, raising concerns about its counter-espionage efforts.