Chinese national pleads guilty to trying to export US military equipment to China

A Chinese citizen faces significant prison time after pleading guilty to attempting to illegally export sensitive US military equipment to China. Chen Dingwei, 29, admitted in federal court in Salt Lake City, Utah, to trying to acquire military-grade satellite modems and radios. These items are manufactured for the US military by American companies and are prohibited from being exported to China under the US Arms Export Control Act. US District Judge David Sam accepted Chen's guilty plea and has scheduled sentencing for October 19. The Department of Justice accused Chen of attempting to divert advanced US military technologies, which could potentially be used against American forces in the future. Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg emphasized that these technologies represent significant US investment and ingenuity. James R. Ives, director of the Pentagon’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service, highlighted the importance of such advanced communication systems for protecting US warfighters in modern battlefields.

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These advanced technologies are a product of United States ingenuity and investment.