China ‘Has Taken the Gloves Off’ in its Thefts of U.S. Technology Secrets

It was the great microchip heist — a stunning Chinese-backed effort that pilfered as much as $8.75 billion in patented American technology.U.S. officials say the theft took a year to pull off and involved commercial spies, a Chinese-backed company, a Taiwanese chipmaker and employees affiliated with Micron Technology, a U.S.-based microchip behemoth.

Yet what Micron called “one of the boldest schemes of commercial espionage in recent times” is most notable because it’s not unusual.