Tong Daning
Tong Daning (Chinese: 佟达宁; September 1950 – 23 March 2006) was a high-level government official in the People's Republic of China who was executed for espionage.
Biography
Early life and economic reform work
Tong Daning was born in Beizhen, Liaoning, in September 1950. He is of Manchu ethnicity. Tong began working in January 1969, and he joined the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in April 1975. In 1984, Tong was appointed deputy director of the Comprehensive Planning and Pilot Project Department of the National Economic System Reform Commission. In 1993, he was promoted to the position of director of the Comprehensive Planning and Pilot Project Department. In 1998, Tong was transferred to the General Office of the National Economic System Reform Commission, where he served as its deputy director.[1][2][3]
Social Security Fund
In June 2001, Tong left the National Economic System Reform Commission to become the deputy director of the Administrative Affairs department of the National Council for Social Security Fund (SSF). He was promoted to the position of director of the Administrative Affairs department in February 2003. In October of the same year, Tong was further promoted to the positions of the director of the General Office of the SSF and deputy secretary of the party committee of the SSF.[1][2][3]
Espionage
On 21 February 2004, Tong was detained on suspicion of espionage; he was formally arrested on 26 March of the same year. On 22 August 2005, the Beijing Second Intermediate People's Court found Tong guilty of espionage, stating he had accepted the assignment of an agent of the Military Intelligence Bureau of Taiwan and had provided them with top-secret and confidential documents issued by the Central Committee, the State Council, and other top Chinese organizations. Tong reportedly received more than 210,000 US dollars as compensation for his work. He was sentenced to death, deprivation of political rights for life, and confiscation of all personal property. Tong appealed the decision, and on 30 November 2005, the Beijing High People's Court dismissed his appeal and upheld the original verdict. Tong was executed on 23 March 2006 and posthumously expelled from the CCP in April of the same year.[1][2][3]
Legacy
Tong was the most senior Chinese official to be executed for espionage since Major General Liu Liankun in 1999. His case was made into an anti-espionage video called "The Tong Daning Spy Case" (Chinese: 佟达宁间谍窃密案) to warn civil servants of the possible consequences of espionage.[4][5][6][7]
References
- ^ a b c "佟达宁非法向境外组织提供情报案". epaper.xplus.com (in Chinese). 2008-01-10. Archived from the original on 2015-08-11. Retrieved 2025-07-14.
- ^ a b c "美国驻华女武官窃密案揭秘 盘点中国反间谍要案". news.southcn.com (in Chinese). 2015-04-16. Archived from the original on 2019-06-29. Retrieved 2025-07-18.
- ^ a b c "何新博客荐文：改革开放以来重大间谍案揭秘". szhgh.com (in Chinese). 2014-05-18. Archived from the original on 2014-05-26. Retrieved 2025-07-18.
- ^ David Lague (2006-08-08). "China Executes Official Accused of Spying". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2025-01-08. Retrieved 2006-08-08.
- ^ Cheng, Allen (2006-08-08). "China Executes Official as Taiwan Spy, 1st Since 1999". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on 2012-10-11. Retrieved 2006-08-08.
- ^ "Official executed for spying in China". Gulf Times. 2006. Archived from the original on 2006-08-08. Retrieved 2006-08-08.
- ^ "Chinese officials warned off spying". Al Jazeera. 2006-08-07. Retrieved 2025-07-18.