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GuardianSep 27
China Sentences Ex-Government Employee to Death for Alleged State Secrets Leak
Above: Tiananmen Gate featuring Mao Zedong's image is seen at night in Beijing on December 1, 2022. Image copyright: Jade Gao/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images
The Facts
According to reports from China, a former government employee with the last name Zhang who was once "a core confidential personnel of a state agency" received a death sentence for disclosing "a large number of top secret and classified state secrets to foreign intelligence agencies."
In a WeChat post, the Chinese Ministry of State Security Wednesday said Zhang had access to "a large number of state secrets," which he reportedly leaked using a USB drive. The ministry dubbed the former state employee "weak in character and unable to resist the temptation of money."
The Spin
Anti-China narrative
China's revised state secrets law and opaque death penalty practices are serious human rights concerns. By classifying execution data as state secrets, China obscures the true extent of its use of capital punishment — likely hiding thousands of executions. Recent legal changes grant authorities broad power to target foreign nationals and dissenters, expanding government control and stifling public discourse. These measures signal an alarming erosion of transparency, restricting accountability for potential human rights abuses in China.
Pro-China narrative
China's updated state secrets law is a necessary measure to protect national security while still fostering an open business environment. Despite criticism, these revisions aim to ensure technological and strategic interests are safeguarded without hindering legitimate foreign business operations. In parallel, China’s approach to capital punishment is balanced — applying strict, controlled use only for severe crimes, in line with China’s social context and judicial norms. This issue remains a sovereign matter.