Hongjin Tan, from China, admits to stealing trade secrets of Phillips 66 oil company, Oklahoma, USA, while working here.

In a statement on November 12, the US Department of Justice said the stolen information related to the "research and development of downstream energy products" was worth more than a billion dollars. The 36-year-old Chinese citizen said he had deliberately copied and downloaded the documents without permission from his superiors.

Tan is an expert in battery systems and power storage, having worked at Phillips 66, based in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, from May 2017 to December 2018. The company in December said it was cooperating with the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in an investigation involving "a former employee", but no further comments were provided.

According to FBI records, Phillips 66 contacted the agency in December 2018 to report theft of trade secrets. At about the same time, Tan told a colleague that he would return to China, but was arrested before returning home.

"Tan's confession once again shows China's theft of American intellectual property. We launched the China Initiative to combat this kind of illegal behavior that causes Americans to lose their jobs like this. and will continue to act, "said Assistant Justice Secretary John Demers.

Tan will be sentenced on February 12 next year. The US Department of Justice says it agrees with a two-year sentence and $ 150,000 in Phillips 66 compensation.