US Navy officer charged with espionage

A US Navy officer was facing espionage charges this week, after allegedly passing on state secrets - possibly to China and Taiwan.

An unnamed official told Reuters the suspect was Lieutenant Commander Edward Lin, a Taiwan-born US citizen with access to ‘sensitive’ Washington intelligence.

It was understood he was assigned to the Navy Patrol and Reconnaissance Group headquarters, where intelligence collection is managed and monitored.

A redacted charge sheet accused him of twice communicating secret information, and attempting to do to to a representative of another government three times “with intent or reason to believe it would be used to the advantage of a foreign nation.”

The charge sheet did not identify which countries were involved, though the official told Reuters both China and Taiwan were possibilities.

It was also reported Lin spoke fluent Mandarin, and managed the collection of electronic signals from the EP3-E Aries II signals intelligence aircraft.

Neither the Chinese of Taiwanese government said they were aware of the case.