A physicist in Virginia has been arrested and charged with violating arms control laws by selling rocket technology information to China, which helped the country’s burgeoning space program. He has also been charged with bribing a Chinese official to win a contract for a company he represented. Quan-Sheng Shu, 68, a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in Shanghai, was arrested Wednesday morning and made an initial appearance that afternoon in U.S. District Court in Norfolk…. Shu appeared to be shaking and bewildered at his court appearance [Virginian-Pilot]. If convicted, Shu faces up to 25 years of jail time.
The arrest came at an awkward moment for the Chinese government, which spent today celebrating the successful launch of the Shenzhou 7 spacecraft carrying a full crew of three astronauts, one of whom will perform China’s first space walk in the coming days. While the technological data that Shu allegedly sold wasn’t used in the rocket that launched the Shenzhou 7, the juxtaposition of events undercuts the message the Chinese government hoped to broadcast today: that the country has come into its own as a mature, space-faring nation, and that it needs no outside assistance to achieve its goals.
Shu is president of a Virginia-based company called AMAC International, which maintains a branch office in Beijing. According to a criminal complaint unsealed Wednesday, Shu sold technology to China for development of hydrogen-propelled rockets. The Chinese government is developing a space launch facility in the southern island province of Hainan that will house liquid-propelled launch vehicles designed to send space stations and satellites into orbit [AP]. The U.S. Justice Department says the Hainan facility will also provide support for future manned missions and lunar expeditions.
He specifically is accused of providing technical expertise and foreign technology in the fields of cryogenic pumps, valves, transfer lines and refrigeration equipment, components critical for use of liquefied hydrogen in a launch facility. Shu also is accused of offering bribes to Chinese government officials to win the award of a hydrogen liquefier project to a French company that Shu represented, a contract valued at about $4 million, department officials said [Reuters].
Image: flickr/cogdogblog
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September 25th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
Poor guy, I find it hard to see myself as an American even though I was born here. I can?t imagine how much more confusing allegiance would be if I had lived in two countries. It renders laws like this senseless. Sure, on an intellectual level I can see the forces that create such laws. I just don?t understand why those forces are still so binding after so many years of evolution. Why do we still cling to the traditions and peoples of our birth place as though it should hold relevance? I pray for the fall of nations so that laws like this disappear. Is it not a good thing that China is advancing their space program? I for one want to see more people in space. The only reason it may be seen as a bad thing is because it could be used for weapons. The only reason it would be used for weapons is because we fear the Chinese and the Chinese fear us, but the only reason an American is an American or a china man a china man is because he was arbitrarily born on that continent. What a bunch of illusion and yet we see this as reality.
September 25th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
You have been thoroughly brainwashed by your liberal college professors, Chris. How very sad for you that you cannot appreciate living in the greatest nation man has known. After having lived abroad, I appreciate my home more than ever, and those that died to keep her free.
September 25th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
REP: Creed
Hey Creed
You must be from Canada or no maybe France or England or maybe Italy, Findland, Swiss, Japan, Sweden …
USA is great, but come on ”greatest nation man has known”
You might not no this but on our planet their is nations, that have the same freedom and even more… Better health care… And soon more scientific advance… Etc.
USA citizens are great people but your current government and maybe you future government is bringing you country into a downward spiral (and the world with it).
So lets all hope for a liberal government that as less religious attachment. So the American empire could be back on track and lead the world again to a better future.
100 years of supremacy in the History book is a very very short time. Compare to the Greek, Roman, & Egyptians empires that as rule for over 1000 of years.
So please, the USA are Great, I love them, but you are not alone.
Thanks
September 25th, 2008 at 9:30 pm
creed says the greatest nation man has known on earth what a load of nonsense gretest warmongering nation and worse than any communist country for pushing its own brand of dictatorial governmnet on people… yes
September 28th, 2008 at 10:04 pm
I think we are getting a little off track.
The story was about illegal technological transfer, not who is the greatest country.
As for the Illegal technological transfer: the Chinese are robbing us blind (Us meaning the west). They have no respect for international patents or the money and time spent on developing the technology.
This may not sound that bad, considering they are just trying to better themselves.
But that is not what happens. They steal technology (many times replicating it exactly), make it much cheaper (hey, they did not have to spend millions in research) and then get the company who spent the time and energy developing the technology/product kicked out of all the foreign markets.
Try getting your patent enforced in India, Mexico or Russia…..
As for this specific technology; rockets; at that point we are talking about military technology. Which anyone who is dealing with it has to be very careful.
If this fellow truly is “bewildered” at being arrested, he is dumb as a rock. Being the head of the company, I find it hard to believe he did not know the score……
As for the “get rid of nations” and “lets all hold hands” sentiment, we are talking about a nation who rolls over students with tanks, and maintains order with firing squads.
Not wanting them to get top of the line military technology is only prudent.
September 29th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
Why is it that only Chinese scientists or scientists of Chinese ancestry get charged with these crimes? Big American corporations and trans-national corporations with no national affiliation, thus no sense of “patriotism”, have been transfering technology to China since Nixon’s publicity stunt 30 years ago.
Face it, right now China is economically richer and stronger than “The West” and will continue to buy everything that Americans thought was their own.
The only way for America to protect it’s “national security” is rebuild America’s economy and create jobs at home. Sadly, those mega-corporations have no intention of doing so while they can get slave labor in China.
April 5th, 2009 at 10:47 pm
Mr. Scott: Chinese scientists get charged with these crimes because THEY COMMITTED THEM. Are you so dim that you don’t understand the difference between theft and lawful technology transfer? Any company that hires a recent Chinese immigrant, or worse yet, a Chinese national to a high-level science position might as well just hand their patent portfolio over to the communists. China is a dirty, dangerous, inhumane and utterly corrupt nation. I have learned to not trust any businessperson from China, EVER. Same goes for Russians – their corporate and government leaders are dirtbags without exception. You make deals with these gangsters at your own peril! I will agree with one point you made, however – it is primarily corporate greed that has sent many of best jost to China, Mexico and other hellhole nations. But the even greater obscenity is when they bring untrustworthy, low-aid Chinese talent HERE to take our jobs..talk about having your cake and eating it, too.