WASHINGTON—The Justice Department accused six Chinese
citizens, including three professors, of conspiring to steal
sensitive wireless technology from U.S. companies.
The six individuals allegedly worked together to bring trade
secrets relating to thin-film bulk acoustic resonator technology
from U.S. companies Avago Technologies and Skyworks Solutions Inc.
back to China's Tianjin University, according to an indictment
unsealed late Monday. They then set up a joint venture with the
university to produce and sell equipment using the technology,
according to the indictment, and won contracts to sell it to both
businesses and the military.
"Sensitive technology developed by U.S. companies in Silicon
Valley and throughout California continues to be vulnerable to
coordinated and complex efforts sponsored by foreign governments to
steal that technology," San Francisco U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag,
whose office is prosecuting the case, said in a news release
Tuesday.
One of the defendants, Tianjin University Prof. Hao Zhang, was
arrested when he landed at Los Angeles International Airport
Saturday after he traveled from China, according to the Justice
Department. He is in custody and information wasn't immediately
available about whether he has an attorney.
Write to Andrew Grossman at andrew.grossman@wsj.com
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