In 2021[1], Xiaorong You, a.k.a. Shannon You, was convicted for conspiracy to commit trade secret theft and economic espionage. Shannon was a former employee of the Cola-Cola company in Atlanta and then the Eastman Chemical Company in Kingsport. She worked as the Principal Engineer for Global Research while at Coca-Cola from 2012 to 2017. The technology in question is the chemical formula for a BPA-free coating inside beverage cans. The formula was developed in coordination with several companies including “Akzo-Nobel, BASF, Dow Chemical, PPG, Toyochem, Sherwin Williams and Eastman Chemical Company.” You’s intent was to create a company in China producing the same chemical coating. The investigation revealed that You was working for Weihai Jinhong Group and was recipient of funds from the Chinese government. Lastly, You was found to have been the recipient of a Thousand Talents Plan award, further connecting her efforts to PRC state-linked entities. Footnotes [1] https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/chemist-sentenced-stealing-trade-secrets-economic-espionage-and-wire-fraud