বাংলাBelgium is holding a 52-year-old man with dual Chinese and Belgian citizenship on suspicion of espionage involving semiconductor and chip technology. The country’s public prosecutor’s office said he has been held in pre-trial detention since May.
Semiconductor espionage allegations involve the man’s former position at Belgian chipmaker BelGaN, a company specializing in gallium nitride semiconductors that was declared bankrupt in July 2024.
According to the allegations, the man secretly became a director of a Chinese company just months after joining BelGaN. The Chinese company was reportedly established with funding from an investment fund in China and produced similar types of chips.
Investigators suspect that, while working at BelGaN, he may have illegally transferred sensitive intellectual property and commercial secrets abroad. The technology is related to gallium nitride chips used in electric vehicles, aerospace, satellites, radar and military applications.
The man, who lives in Belgium, was arrested in May at Brussels Airport in Zaventem while preparing to board a flight to Beijing. He remains in custody and has denied all allegations against him, according to Belgian public broadcaster RTBF.
A second suspect is also being sought in the semiconductor espionage investigation. That person remains at large. Investigators have seized several data-storage devices and electronic communication tools for analysis.
The Chinese Embassy in Belgium could not immediately be reached for comment. The investigation remains ongoing, and the allegations against the detained man have not been finally established in court.
The case highlights the growing sensitivity surrounding advanced semiconductor technology and intellectual property. Semiconductor espionage investigations can involve complex questions about corporate trade secrets, technology transfer and national security.
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