Belgium detains suspect in transfer of chipmaker secrets to China
Belgium has detained a 52-year-old citizen of China and Belgium suspected of illegally transferring the trade secrets of local semiconductor manufacturer Belgan to a Chinese company. As Asharq Al-Awsat reports, the man was detained in May at Brussels Airport as he was preparing to fly to Beijing.
Prosecutors’ suspicions
According to Belgium’s federal prosecutor’s office, the suspect held a senior research position at Belgan while also serving as director of a Chinese company operating in a similar manufacturing field. The Chinese firm was established several months after the man began working for the Belgian company; it was financed by a Chinese investment fund.
The investigation is examining the alleged illegal transfer abroad of specialized intellectual property and trade secrets related to the production of gallium nitride-based chips. Such semiconductors are used, among other things, in electric vehicles, the aerospace industry and the military sector.
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Preventive measure and another suspect
The man remains in custody pending trial. He is accused of espionage, participation in a criminal organization, improper use of company assets, and unlawful disclosure of corporate secrets.
Prosecutors are also searching for a second suspect, a Chinese citizen. Local media identified him as Belgan’s last chief executive officer. The company went bankrupt in 2024, affecting more than 400 employees.
In its annual report, Belgium’s State Security Service pointed to the practice of creating so-called “copy-to-China” companies. Under the described scheme, Chinese firms invest in small Belgian companies, research centers or spin-offs with promising technologies, and then establish enterprises in China to manufacture similar technology on a larger scale.
