Two US Navy sailors in California have been apprehended for allegedly sharing sensitive military data with China.

Jinchao Wei, aged 22 and a naturalized US citizen, is accused of conspiring to transmit national defense information to a Chinese agent. Similarly, Petty Officer Wenheng Zhao, 26, was arrested for accepting payment in exchange for providing sensitive photos and videos.

The connection between the two men and the same Chinese agent is yet to be clarified. Both individuals were taken into custody on Wednesday in California.

Jinchao Wei was apprehended while en route to Naval Base San Diego, where he worked as a machinist's mate on the USS Essex, an amphibious assault ship. Having a security clearance, he had access to critical information about the ship.

The alleged involvement with the Chinese agent dates back to February 2022 when Mr. Wei was in the process of becoming a US citizen. The agent reportedly paid him thousands of dollars for photographs, videos, technical manuals, and blueprints of the ship.

Additionally, Mr. Wei is accused of providing the agent with details of US Marines participating in a maritime training exercise. Prosecutors revealed these charges during a news conference in San Diego on Thursday.

"When a soldier or sailor chooses cash over country and hands over national defence information in an ultimate act of betrayal, we have to be ready to act," said US Attorney Randy Grossman.

China, so far, has denied any knowledge of the alleged activity.

Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for China's embassy in Washington, was quoted by the Wall Street Journal as saying: "The US government and media have frequently hyped up cases of 'espionage' related to China.

"China firmly opposes the US side's groundless slander and smear of China," he added.

Mr Zhao, who also goes by the name Thomas Zhao, worked at Naval Base Ventura County near Los Angeles. In 2021 he was allegedly approached by a Chinese agent who posed as a researcher seeking information for investment decisions.

The agent paid Mr Zhao nearly $15,000 (£11,800) for photos and videos along with diagrams and blueprints for a radar system stationed on a US military base in Okinawa, Japan, authorities said.

If convicted, Mr Wei faces 20 years to life in prison, while the charges against Mr Zhao carry a maximum sentence of 20 years.

The two men were charged in separate cases.

Authorities characterised the alleged espionage as part of a concerted effort by China to obtain US military secrets.

A Chinese spy balloon that floated over the United States earlier this year strained relations between the two countries, although American authorities later said it did not collect any sensitive information.

"The Department of Justice will continue to use every tool in our arsenal to counter threats from China and to deter those who aid them in breaking our laws and threatening our national security," said Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen.

It was not clear if either Mr Wei or Mr Zhao had hired lawyers who could comment on their behalf.

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