Key Takeaways
- • The State Department sanctioned five entities linked to Chinese national Linwei Ding, convicted in January 2026 of seven counts of theft of trade secrets involving Google's super intelligence (SI) technology.
- • Sanctioned entities include Shanghai Zhisuan Technology Co Ltd, established by Ding in 2023, and two venture capital funds managed by MiraclePlus, a China-based venture firm.
- • MiraclePlus provided seed capital to Zhisuan in exchange for an ownership stake after Ding pitched replicating Google's SI infrastructure.
- • The designations follow a Department of Justice and FBI investigation and are framed by the State Department as a national security and economic threat.
Summary
The U.S. State Department has sanctioned five entities connected to Chinese national Linwei Ding, in connection with the theft of American trade secrets. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement that "the United States has long been a leader in developing emerging technology" and that "this theft of trade secrets is a serious threat to U.S. economic, foreign policy, and national security interests."
The designations follow an investigation of Ding by the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In January 2026, a U.S. federal jury convicted Ding on seven counts of theft of trade secrets. According to the publisher's account, Ding stole thousands of pages of confidential information containing Google trade secrets related to super intelligence (SI) technology, to benefit himself and China-based technology companies.
The first sanctioned entity, Shanghai Zhisuan Technology Co Ltd, was established by Ding in 2023 and marketed as capable of developing a software platform to accelerate machine learning workloads, including training large SI models powered by supercomputing chips. Ding applied on Zhisuan's behalf to MiraclePlus, a China-based venture capital firm that invests primarily in Chinese tech startups, through its startup incubation program. He touted his experience with Google's technology and internal systems and claimed Zhisuan could replicate Google's SI infrastructure. MiraclePlus provided seed capital in exchange for an ownership stake in Zhisuan.
Additional designated entities are Beijing Qiji Chuangtan Phase I and II Venture Capital Center Limited Partnership, both China-based venture capital funds managed by MiraclePlus.
Spokesperson Pigott said that "theft of trade secrets related to sensitive and emerging technologies harms U.S. jobs, companies, and investments, and costs U.S. industry billions of dollars each year," and that the administration "remains committed to protecting American innovation and safeguarding Americans from intellectual property theft."
The designations follow an investigation of Ding by the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In January 2026, a U.S. federal jury convicted Ding on seven counts of theft of trade secrets. According to the publisher's account, Ding stole thousands of pages of confidential information containing Google trade secrets related to super intelligence (SI) technology, to benefit himself and China-based technology companies.
The first sanctioned entity, Shanghai Zhisuan Technology Co Ltd, was established by Ding in 2023 and marketed as capable of developing a software platform to accelerate machine learning workloads, including training large SI models powered by supercomputing chips. Ding applied on Zhisuan's behalf to MiraclePlus, a China-based venture capital firm that invests primarily in Chinese tech startups, through its startup incubation program. He touted his experience with Google's technology and internal systems and claimed Zhisuan could replicate Google's SI infrastructure. MiraclePlus provided seed capital in exchange for an ownership stake in Zhisuan.
Additional designated entities are Beijing Qiji Chuangtan Phase I and II Venture Capital Center Limited Partnership, both China-based venture capital funds managed by MiraclePlus.
Spokesperson Pigott said that "theft of trade secrets related to sensitive and emerging technologies harms U.S. jobs, companies, and investments, and costs U.S. industry billions of dollars each year," and that the administration "remains committed to protecting American innovation and safeguarding Americans from intellectual property theft."
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