Chinese Agent Asks U.S. Court to Overturn Convictions
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When agents arrested Chi Mak in California on charges that he tried to slip U.S. naval technology to China, the government’s list of material restricted for export didn’t specifically name the items he was caught trying to send abroad.
After his arrest, prosecutors asked the State Department whether the information was indeed restricted and were told it was. The U.S. Munitions List, which contains categories of items requiring a license to export, covered the material without actually naming it, prosecutors argued. The list says technical data related to defense are subject to restriction, whether the precise subject matter is listed or not.