companies and accepted positions as full professors at Tianjin University. In mid-2009, both Pang and Zhang simultaneously resigned from the U.S. Pang and Zhang continued to work for Avago and Skyworks in close coordination with Tianjin University. Shortly thereafter, Tianjin University agreed to support Pang, Zhang and others in establishing an FBAR fabrication facility in the PRC. Tianjin University is a leading PRC Ministry of Education University located in the PRC and one of the oldest universities in China.Īs set forth in the indictment, in 2008, officials from Tianjin University flew to San Jose, California, to meet with Pang, Zhang and other co-conspirators. Through efforts outlined in the superseding indictment, Pang, Zhang and others established relationships with officials from Tianjin University. Apart from consumer applications, FBAR technology has numerous applications for a variety of military and defense communications technologies.Īccording to the indictment, in 20, Pang, Zhang and other co-conspirators prepared a business plan and began soliciting PRC universities and others, seeking opportunities to start manufacturing FBAR technology in China. FBAR technology filters incoming and outgoing wireless signals so that a user only receives and transmits the specific communications intended by the user. FBAR technology is primarily used in mobile devices like cellular telephones, tablets and GPS devices. Throughout Zhang’s employment, Skyworks was also a designer and developer of FBAR technology. The stolen trade secrets alleged in the indictment belong to Avago or Skyworks.Īvago is a designer, developer and global supplier of FBAR technology, which is a specific type of radio frequency (RF) filter. After earning their doctorate in approximately 2005, Pang accepted employment as an FBAR engineer with Avago Technologies (Avago) in Colorado and Zhang accepted employment as an FBAR engineer with Skyworks Solutions Inc. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). While there, Pang and Zhang conducted research and development on thin-film bulk acoustic resonator (FBAR) technology under funding from U.S. university in Southern California during their doctoral studies in electrical engineering. companies at a disadvantage in the global market.”Īccording to the indictment, PRC nationals Wei Pang and Hao Zhang met at a U.S. The FBI is committed to rooting out industrial espionage that puts U.S. “Complex foreign-government sponsored schemes, such as the activity identified here, inflict irreversible damage to the economy of the United States and undercut our national security. technology through the use of individuals operating within the United States,” said Special Agent in Charge Johnson. “The conduct alleged in this superseding indictment reveals a methodical and relentless effort by foreign interests to obtain and exploit sensitive and valuable U.S. “Combating economic espionage and trade secret theft remains one of the top priorities of this Office.” companies in Silicon Valley and throughout California continues to be vulnerable to coordinated and complex efforts sponsored by foreign governments to steal that technology,” said U.S. “As today’s case demonstrates, sensitive technology developed by U.S. I would like to thank all the agents, analysts and prosecutors who are responsible for this indictment.” The National Security Division will continue to relentlessly identify, pursue and prosecute offenders wherever the evidence leads. “Economic espionage imposes great costs on American businesses, weakens the global marketplace and ultimately harms U.S. trade secrets with the PRC for economic advantage,” said Assistant Attorney General Carlin. technologies to illegally obtain and share U.S. “According to the charges in the indictment, the defendants leveraged their access to and knowledge of sensitive U.S. trade secrets for the benefit of universities and companies controlled by the PRC government. The 32-count indictment, which had previously been sealed, charges a total of six individuals with economic espionage and theft of trade secrets for their roles in a long-running effort to obtain U.S. Johnson of the FBI’s San Francisco Division. Attorney Melinda Haag of the Northern District of California and Special Agent in Charge David J. On May 16, 2015, Tianjin University Professor Hao Zhang was arrested upon entry into the United States from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in connection with a recent superseding indictment in the Northern District of California, announced Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Chinese Professors Alleged to Have Stolen Valuable Technology from Avago Technologies and Skyworks Solutions to Benefit a PRC University
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