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Deng Yuanqing's past identification documents confirm his graduation from Yangzhou Polytechnic Institute with a major in oil refining.

The US Naval Institute (USNI) News reported on Monday that following the arrest of a Chinese citizen in Manila on charges of "espionage" — allegedly for possessing detailed maps of Philippine government facilities and military bases while being accused by the Philippine government of having ties to Chinese military academies — Philippine authorities arrested five more Chinese nationals late last month on similar charges. The Philippine side claimed that these five individuals were "illegally gathering intelligence" on facilities, ports, and vessels of the Philippine Navy and Coast Guard stationed near the South China Sea in Palawan province.

In response to this series of malicious accusations, the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines told the Global Times on Wednesday that the Philippine side's claims of Chinese citizens engaging in "espionage" activities in the Philippines are purely defamatory and baseless. Regarding the so-called "Deng Yuanqing case," it has been confirmed that Deng Yuanqing is not the "technical expert who graduated from a Chinese military academy" as alleged by the Philippine side, but rather a graduate with a degree in oil refining.

Recently, the Philippine side has been intensively hyping up the so-called "Chinese spies" issue. On Monday (local time), Philippine Navy spokesperson Roy Vincent Trinidad falsely claimed in an interview with the Philippine ABS-CBN News Channel that some Chinese nationals who had been residing in the Philippines for over 10 years were suspected of "engaging in espionage activities."

Earlier, on January 17, Philippine law enforcement officers arrested a Chinese national named "Yuanqing Deng" and two other Filipino individuals on charges of espionage. According to the Reuters, the Philippine side seized their vehicle, and mounted on it was espionage equipment, and accused them of allegedly conducting surveillance on critical infrastructure, including military installations. Following the arrest, Philippine National Bureau of Investigation Director Jaime Santiago alleged that the detained Chinese citizen was a technical software engineer linked to a Chinese military academy.

At a press conference held on January 20, Jaime Santiago publicly stated that, according to the Philippine authorities' investigation, "Yuanqing Deng" was from a Chinese military academy and was part of a team sent to the Philippines "for espionage activities." The "evidence" provided by the Philippine side consisted of several academic papers authored by "Yuanqing Deng," which were found on the website of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). The paper details indicated that "Yuanqing Deng" was from a Chinese military academy and primarily engaged in research in the field of electronic engineering.

However, the so-called "evidence" provided by the Philippine side is riddled with errors. On Wednesday the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines told the Global Times that the so-called "Chinese spy" Deng Yuanqing is not the same "Deng" who is a Chinese expert in the field of electronic engineering, as mentioned on the IEEE website, despite both individuals having the same pinyin name, "Yuanqing Deng." The Chinese Embassy provided photos of Deng Yuanqing's past identification documents, showing that he graduated from Yangzhou Polytechnic Institute, with a major in oil refining — an area that is far removed from the "electronic technology expert" the Philippine side claims him to be from a Chinese military academy.

At a press conference on January 27, Deng Yuanqing's wife stated that her husband was by no means a spy but rather an employee of a company specializing in autonomous driving technology research and development. 

On Sunday, Anna Malindog-Uy, vice president of the Manila-based think tank Asian Century Philippines Strategic Studies Institute, published an article revealing that, after investigation, Deng Yuanqing was only temporarily hired in December last year by an automotive technology service company in East China's Zhejiang Province. This company primarily provides international certification services for automotive products, ensuring that they comply with the specific regulatory requirements of each target market.

In her article, Anna Malindog-Uy pointed out that security officials in the Philippines, represented by Santiago, were apparently "searching for Chinese citizens using pinyin in search engines like amateurs" during their investigations, a method she deemed completely unreliable.

The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines had previously responded, stating that the so-called "espionage" operation involving a Chinese citizen in the Philippines is baseless speculation and accusation. The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines has expressed concerns to the Philippine side, urging them to base their judgment on facts, not to presume guilt, stop airing groundless speculations about the so-called "Chinese spy case," and handle the relevant cases in accordance with the law.

Global Times