Ex-Canadian Space Agency engineer faces charge for acting of half of Chinese firm

MONTREAL — The RCMP say a former Canadian Space Agency engineer has been charged with breach of trust for using his position to act on behalf of a Chinese company.

Federal authorities say Wanping Zheng, 61, will appear in court in Longueuil, Que., on Dec. 15.

Zheng, a Brossard, Que., resident, is alleged to have used his status as a CSA engineer to negotiate agreements to install satellite station facilities in Iceland.

Police allege he acted on behalf of a Chinese aerospace company.

The RCMP say their Integrated National Security Enforcement Team began an investigation in October 2019.

The unit probes activities carried out by, or on behalf of, foreign actors that put Canada’s economy or institutions at risk. 

In a statement, the space agency says that when concerns about Zheng’s activities came to light, it launched an internal inquiry and restricted his access until his employment ended in 2019.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 8, 2021.

The Canadian Press