Belgian-Chinese man to face trial over suspected semiconductor espionage
Prosecutors say the suspect also led a Chinese chip company that was founded months after he joined BelGaN and financed by a Chinese investment fund.
- On Monday, Belgian prosecutors announced a 52-year-old Belgian-Chinese man remains in detention on suspicion of industrial espionage following his arrest on May 10 at Zaventem airport in Brussels before boarding a flight to Beijing.
- The suspect previously held a senior position at BelGaN, a microchip maker employing around 400 people that declared bankruptcy on July 31, 2024, while prosecutors allege he simultaneously directed a competing Chinese firm.
- Investigators suspect he illegally transferred trade secrets regarding gallium nitride semiconductors used in electric vehicles, aerospace, and military systems; several data storage devices and electronic communications equipment were seized for analysis.
- Belgian federal prosecutors confirmed they are pursuing a second suspect as the man awaits trial, with the investigation examining potential criminal organization membership and unlawful disclosure of business secrets.
- The Chinese embassy in Belgium was not immediately available for comment regarding the espionage allegations, leaving the diplomatic response to the case unclear.
34 Articles
34 Articles
A former top executive of a bankrupt Belgian chip manufacturer is in jail on suspicion of espionage. The man allegedly funneled trade secrets to Beijing. The 52-year-old H.L., a Belgian-Chinese national, was arrested on May 10 as he was about to board a plane to Beijing.
A Belgian may have passed on trade secrets of chip manufacturer Belgan to China. A former top executive of the chip company is suspected of espionage, reports the Belgian Public Prosecution Service (OM). The 52-year-old man, who headed the investigation department, was arrested in May at Brussels Zaventem Airport. He was about to fly to his birthplace, Beijing. The man holds both Chinese and Belgian nationality. Before his arrest, he lived in L…
Associated Press News
Belgian-Chinese man to face trial over suspected semiconductor espionage
Belgian prosecutors say a Belgian-Chinese man has been taken into custody on suspicion of industrial espionage after allegedly transferring trade secrets about semiconductor production to China.
Asharq AL-awsat
Insider PaperBelgium Arrests Suspected Spy Who Sold Chip Secrets to China
Authorities in Belgium said on Monday they had arrested a suspected spy who allegedly sold a local chip-maker's trade secrets to a Chinese rival. Prosecutors said the Chinese-Belgian national, who worked at Belgan, a now bankrupt Belgian producer of gallium nitride semiconductors, was arrested at Brussels airport in May as he was about to board a flight to Beijing.
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