U.S. man charged with exporting space data to China

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A physicist from Virginia was arrested on Wednesday on charges of illegally exporting space launch technical data and services to China and offering bribes to Chinese government officials, the Justice Department said.

It said Shu Quan-Sheng, 68, a native of China who is a naturalized U.S. citizen, was arrested by FBI agents. Shu, president, secretary and treasurer of AMAC International, a high-tech company in Newport News, Virginia, is charged with unlawfully exporting defense items in violation of the arms export control law.

Department officials said Shu has been involved in China's effort to upgrade its space exploration and satellite technology capabilities.

Beginning in January 2003, Shu provided technical assistance and expertise in acquiring foreign technology to several Chinese government entities involved in the design, development, engineering and manufacture of a space launch facility in China, according to the charges.

He specifically is accused of providing technical expertise and foreign technology in the fields of cryogenic pumps, valves, transfer lines and refrigeration equipment, components critical for use of liquefied hydrogen in a launch facility.

Shu also is accused of offering bribes to Chinese government officials to win the award of a hydrogen liquefier project to a French company that Shu represented, a contract valued at about $4 million, department officials said.

(Reporting by James Vicini, Editing by Cynthia Osterman)