Chinese engineer arrested in PH for alleged espionage

On Monday, Philippine military and law enforcement announced the arrest of a Chinese national, Deng Yuanqing, and two Filipino suspects for alleged espionage activities.

Deng Yuanqing is described as an expert in control engineering who had been operating in the Philippines for about 10 years and was arrested on January 17 along with two Filipino 'cohorts' in Makati City.

The Chinese national, a graduate of a university controlled by the People's Liberation Army, planned to gather intelligence on critical structures across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao; high-tech equipment including laser sensors and GPS trackers were seized during the arrest.

Authorities are investigating whether Deng's activities are part of an overall espionage effort by China or if they are connected to criminal syndicates; he mapped facilities under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement between the Philippines and the United States.

The suspects have been charged with espionage under Commonwealth Act 616 for prejudicing national defense, while the Chinese government has urged the Philippines to protect lawful rights of Chinese nationals and refrain from 'shadow-chasing'.