A 35-year-old Hydro-Quebec employee who worked on battery materials research has been charged with espionage for allegedly obtaining trade secrets for China.
(Bloomberg) — A 35-year-old Hydro-Quebec employee who worked on battery materials research has been charged with espionage for allegedly obtaining trade secrets for China.
Yuesheng Wang, of Candiac, Quebec, was arrested following an investigation that began in August. Wang was charged with obtaining trade secrets — the first time such a charge has been laid in the country, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Wang also faces charges of unauthorized use of a computer, fraud for obtaining trade secrets and breach of trust by a public officer.
The investigation was sparked when the company’s security branch contacted authorities, the RCMP said. “While employed by Hydro-Quebec, Mr. Wang allegedly obtained trade secrets to benefit the People’s Republic of China, to the detriment of Canada’s economic interests,” the police force said in a news release.
Wang conducted research on battery materials at Hydro-Quebec’s Center of Excellence in Transportation Electrification and Energy Storage. The unit develops advanced technologies for electric vehicles and energy storage systems. His employment has been terminated for “serious violations” of the company’s code of ethics, Hydro-Quebec said in a news release. “He did not have access to information related to Hydro-Quebec’s core mission,” it said.
Wang used his position at Hydro-Quebec to do research at a Chinese university and other Chinese research centers, David Beaudoin, who heads the RCMP’s national security team in Quebec, said at a news conference. Wang allegedly “submitted scientific articles and submitted patents in association with this foreign actor.”
Wang, who will appear in court Tuesday in Longueuil, Quebec, is the only person facing criminal charges in this matter. The alleged activities took place between February 2018 and October 2022.
Canada-China relations have become increasingly strained in recent years. Last week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s top diplomat called the country an “increasingly disruptive global power.”
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said Tuesday at a regular press briefing in Beijing that she was unaware of the matter. She added that the “Canadian side should handle the relevant individual case in accordance with the law and not politicize it.”
–With assistance from Lucille Liu.
(Updates with comment from China’s Foreign Ministry.)
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