KARACHI, Pakistan

A Chinese researcher has been sentenced to death for providing state secrets to "foreign spy agencies," state media reported Wednesday.

The individual, surnamed Liu, a former assistant engineer at a domestic research institute, was found guilty of copying and selling "a large amount of state secrets to foreign spy agencies and was sentenced to death with lifelong deprivation of political rights,” local broadcaster CGTN reported, citing an article released by the Ministry of State Security.

Liu “was driven by resentment after believing he had been treated unfairly and denied promotions. Before resigning, he secretly copied and retained a large volume of classified materials, intending to use them for retaliation and blackmail," said the article.

After leaving his position, he joined an investment firm and engaged in speculative stock trading, it said, adding that "as his financial losses mounted and debts spiraled, he turned to the classified materials he had stolen, plotting to sell them to foreign intelligence agencies."

The article did not disclose the names of the spy agencies.

"Liu’s espionage activities did not go unnoticed. National security authorities closely monitored his communications with foreign intelligence agencies, gathering extensive evidence before taking action," it said.

Liu was arrested, and during an investigation, he confessed to his crimes, it added.