Retirees who previously held key positions have been targeted by foreign intelligence agencies under the pretense of providing consultancy services for an investigative firm based in China, the Ministry of State Security said on Sunday as it unveiled a recent espionage case.

To gather intelligence on the development of China's key industries, a foreign intelligence agency instructed the firm to recruit professionals with industry expertise, the ministry said in a post on its official WeChat account.

A retiree from a core department in a key sector, identified by the surname Feng, was singled out as a prime target. Exploiting Feng's diminished sense of confidentiality after retirement and ongoing connections with former colleagues, the firm repeatedly approached him with offers of high consulting fees.

Eventually, Feng signed a contract with the firm, ostensibly to provide business consulting services. In reality, the consultancy firm was gathering intelligence and stealing State secrets in an attempt to circumvent legal repercussions, the ministry said.

Feng later collaborated with a former colleague, identified by the surname Jiang, who had also left his position. The two used their industry contacts to obtain classified information on core projects. They wrote regular consultancy reports detailing key aspects such as overall planning, strategic deployment and project progress. These reports, encrypted and transmitted to the firm, were then translated and forwarded to the foreign intelligence agency. Both men received substantial financial compensation.

The information leaked by Feng and Jiang contained classified information, posing a serious threat to national security and interests, the ministry said.

The Supreme People's Court sentenced Feng to six years in prison for illegally providing State secrets to foreign entities, deprived him of his political rights for two years and confiscated personal property worth 500,000 yuan ($68,604).

Jiang received a prison sentence of five years and six months, with the same political rights deprivation and property confiscation.

The ministry underscored that China's anti-espionage law requires all citizens to safeguard national security and interests.

According to State regulations, individuals involved in classified work must adhere to confidentiality protocols even after leaving their positions.

During the designated confidentiality period, such individuals are prohibited from accepting employment or traveling abroad in violation of regulations. They are also barred from disclosing State secrets in any form.

Li Shangyi contributed to this story.