

The brother of a Hu Jintao era political adviser who is suspected to have fled to the US allegedly has documents containing Chinese state secrets that include nuclear codes.

According to The Australian, reports by two independent Hong Kong political magazines that gained access to a confidential speech to party cadres suggest that former official Ling Wancheng has handed over sensitive information to Washington.

The magazines, Qianshao and Chengming, said that three categories of classified information were handed over to the Americans. This information includes:

Plans for the Zhongnanhai leadership retreat, a heavily ­protected enclave of villas and lakes near the palaces of the ­emperors in Beijing, were transferred, with details of its security passwords and communications codes.

The second category included information on command and control systems linking the ­Communist Party central committee in times of crisis with the state council, China’s cabinet, and the Central Military Commission, the supreme command of the armed forces.

Third on the list were launch protocols and procedures devised to guarantee control over China’s non-conventional weapons, including its nuclear deterrent, by the party central committee and the CMC.

Ling Wancheng is the brother of Ling Jihua, a once powerful figure in Chinese politics who fell into disrepute after his son was killed in a fatal car crash involving a Ferrari. Both Ling Jihua and Ling Wancheng were placed under investigation last year as part of Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption drive.

Ling Jihua was at the heart of power prior to Xi Jinping taking office, responsible for the safety, health and confidentiality of Politburo standing committee members. He was also responsible for drafting key documents and monitoring the implementation of central directives and the instructions of top leaders.

While Ling Jihua was detained by Chinese security forces, his brother is reported to have escaped to the US with a cache of 2,700 classified documents to be used as an insurance policy.

If these reports turn out to be true, it would represent the most damaging case of treason since the founding the People’s Republic of China in 1949.