WASHINGTON, Aug 20: A Chinese national has pleaded guilty in the US to charges of trying to export massive quantities of aerospace-grade carbon fiber to China.
Ming Suan Zhang, 41, faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to USD 1 million.
His sentencing is scheduled for November 15.
According to court filings, Zhang was arrested after trying to acquire a sample of the specialised carbon fiber, a high-tech material used frequently in the military, defence and aerospace industries, which is closely regulated by the US Department of Commerce to combat nuclear proliferation and terrorism.
“Zhang crossed the ocean to obtain massive quantities of restricted American technology for the stated purpose of assisting the Chinese military. He was actively working to circumvent laws that protect our national security by preventing specialised technologies from falling into the wrong hands,” said US Attorney Loretta E Lynch.
According to court documents and statements in court, Zhang came to the attention of federal authorities last year after two Taiwanese accomplices attempted to locate large quantities of the specialised carbon fiber via remote Internet contacts.
Zhang told an undercover law enforcement agent that he had an urgent need for the carbon fiber in connection with the scheduled test flight of a Chinese fighter plane.
Zhang then arranged a meeting in the US with an undercover agent to take possession of a carbon fiber sample, which was to be shipped to China and analyzed to verify its authenticity.
Zhang was placed under arrest after he arrived for the meeting.
The scheme was aimed at obtaining thousands of pounds of the high-grade fiber, the Department of Justice said.
Carbon fiber composites of the type allegedly pursued by Zhang and his accomplices are ideally suited to applications where strength, stiffness, lower weight, and outstanding fatigue characteristics are critical requirements.
These composites also can be used in applications where high temperature, chemical inertness and high damping are important. (PTI)
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