WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Two U.S. Navy sailors have been arrested on charges related to national security and tied to China, the Associated Press reported on Thursday, citing U.S. officials.
A 22-year-old sailor assigned to a ship in San Diego was arrested on Wednesday on a charge related to espionage involving conspiracy to send national defense information to Chinese officials, the report added.
Another sailor was arrested at Naval Base Ventura County north of Los Angeles and charged with conspiracy and receipt of a bribe from a Chinese official, according to the report.
The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday.
U.S.-China relations have been tense for years over a range of national security and trade issues. The United States has accused China of espionage and cyberattacks, a charge that Beijing has rejected. China has also declared that it is under threat from spies.
Among the other sore points in U.S.-China ties are U.S. export bans on advanced technologies, China’s state-led industrial policies, human rights issues, the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, trade tariffs and Taiwan.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Mark Porter and Alison Williams)
