Two men suspected of being Chinese intelligence officers have been charged with attempting to obstruct the US criminal investigation and prosecution of Chinese tech giant Huawei.
Chinese nationals Guochun He and Zheng Wang are accused of offering bribes to a US official they thought they had recruited as a spy, but was actually a double agent working for the FBI, the US Justice Department said.
The men are accused of trying to get the official to supply confidential information about the department’s investigation, including about witnesses, trial evidence and potential new charges.
The justice department said that one of the defendants paid about $61,000 (£54,000) for the information.
“The Justice Department will not tolerate attempts by any foreign power to undermine the rule of law upon which our democracy is based,” US Attorney General Merrick Garland told a news conference.
The department added that arrest warrants for the pair had been issued, but it is not clear…
