'China's Spying At Cold War Levels'

A former Boeing aerospace engineer has been charged with stealing Space Shuttle secrets for China.

In a second case, three people - including a US Defense Department weapons expert - are being held on suspicion of spying for Beijing.

The US Justice Department described it as a "serious breach of national security" and said it showed China's spying efforts "are approaching Cold War levels".

The engineer was arrested at his home in Orange County, California, on allegations he supplied trade secrets from several aerospace programmes, including the Space Shuttle.

Dongfan "Greg" Chung, 72, was employed by Rockwell International from 1973 until its defence and space unit was acquired by Boeing in 1996.

Chung is alleged to have supplied trade secrets relating to the Space Shuttle, the C-17 military transport aircraft, and the Delta IV rocket.

In a second case, two men and a woman - including a US Defense Department official - are alleged to have passed classified US government documents to China.

They were named as Tai Shen Kuo, 58, and Yu Xin Kang, 33, both from New Orleans, Louisiana, and Gregg Bergersen, 51, of Alexandria, Virginia.

The first two have been charged with "conspiracy to disclose national defence information to a foreign government". The maximum penalty is life behind bars.

Bergersen, a US weapons systems policy analyst, is accused of "conspiracy to disclose national defence information to persons not entitled to receive it".

This charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.

US Attorney Chuck Rosenberg said: "Those who compromise classified national security information betray the enormous responsibility and trust placed in them by our government and the American people."

According to court documents, the charges relate to a two-year period between January 2006 and February 2008.

Last November, a US congressional panel report said China presented an array of spy threats to Washington, including "currency manipulation" and computer espionage.

Beijing hit back, calling the claims "insulting" and "misleading".

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