Belgian prosecutors have detained a 52-year-old Belgian-Chinese man on suspicion of industrial espionage, alleging he transferred trade secrets related to gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductor production to China. The man, born in Beijing but residing in Belgium, was arrested on May 10 as he attempted to board a flight to Beijing from Brussels. He is currently in pre-trial detention awaiting trial.
The suspect held a senior research position at BelGaN, a Belgian company specializing in GaN semiconductors used in electric vehicles, satellites, radar systems, and electronic warfare. BelGaN, which employed around 400 people, declared bankruptcy in July 2024. Prosecutors suspect the man was simultaneously acting as a director for a Chinese company with similar manufacturing activities, established shortly after he joined BelGaN and financed by a Chinese investment fund.
This investigation stems from BelGaN's bankruptcy and suggests a scheme where Chinese investors, who acquired BelGaN in 2021, were more interested in acquiring technology than sustaining the company. These investors reportedly established a Chinese company, GaNkool, producing the same technology as BelGaN, and transferred sensitive licenses and intellectual property to it. A second suspect, believed to be BelGaN's last CEO, Chinese national Alan Zhen Zhou, is also being sought by authorities.
The charges against the detained man include espionage, participation in a criminal organization, misuse of company assets, unlawful disclosure of trade secrets, and bankruptcy offenses. The case is part of a growing number of Chinese espionage investigations across Europe, highlighting concerns about China's methods to acquire strategic Western technological know-how through means such as "copy-to-China" companies.
