纽约时报中文网 - 英文原版-英US Naval Officer Who Helped China Is Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison

A United States naval officer who sent an intelligence officer working for the Chinese government photos of American military installations and details of naval training exercises in Asia was sentenced to more than two years in prison on Monday.

The 27-month sentence in federal court for the American officer, Wenheng Zhao, also known as Thomas, was lighter than those handed out to some other American citizens convicted of spying for China over the years. In 2019, a former C.I.A. officer, Kevin Patrick Mallory, received more than 20 years.

The case is a reminder of a broader espionage shadow war that has accompanied the intensifying rivalry between China and the United States.

American officials are worried in part because China has been building up its main intelligence agency and investing in wider recruitment, including of American citizens. Beijing, for its part, has offered rewards of tens of thousands of dollars to Chinese citizens who report spies, as part of a call for mass vigilance against foreign enemies.

In the case of Mr. Zhao, an electrician who worked at Naval Base Ventura County in California, prosecutors said that he received nearly $15,000 from the intelligence officer working for the Chinese government between August 2021 and at least May 2023.

In exchange, Mr. Zhao, 26, used encrypted communication methods to send his handler sensitive information, including photos and video of restricted areas in military installations, and plans for American naval exercises in Asia, according to an indictment filed in July that did not disclose the handler’s name.