Philippines arrests Chinese national on suspicion of espionage

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MANILA (Reuters) – Philippine law enforcers have arrested a Chinese national on suspicion of espionage, recovering in his possession equipment authorities believe could be used for spying on military facilities. 

The suspect, identified as Deng Yuanqing, was presented to media on Monday, along with two other alleged Filipino cohorts. 

Investigators said Deng is affiliated with the Army Engineering University of PLA (People’s Liberation Army) based in the city of Nanjing in China’s eastern Jiangsu province.

Philippine National Bureau of Investigation Director Jaime Santiago said Deng was part of a group that authorities had been tracking, based on intelligence indicating they arrived in the country to conduct surveillance on critical infrastructure, including military installations.

Some locations visited by the group included sites where U.S. forces have been granted access under a military agreement, Philippine armed forces chief Romeo Brawner said. 

“We are just looking into the overall espionage effort of China,” Brawner told the same press conference.      

China’s embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

The arrest comes amid growing suspicion in the Philippines over China’s activities, including the conduct of its coast guard and fishing militia in Manila’s exclusive economic zone.

The two countries have overlapping claims to several disputed features and have engaged in heated standoffs at sea, accusing each other of trespassing.  

“We seized his vehicle, and mounted on it was an espionage equipment,” Santiago told a press conference, referring to Deng “It is possible that some of the collected information has already been transmitted to China,” he added. 

NBI Cybercrime chief Jeremy Lotoc said Deng has been in the Philippines for at least five years based on a copy of his passport. 

“We have dubbed him as a sleeper (agent),” he said. 

(Reporting by Karen Lema; Editing by Martin Petty)