It seems your thirties are your new sixties in China as people above 35 are now fearing job loss because of their increasing age. Question remains is the so-called curse of 35 going to add to the country's demographic crisis?

Gravitas:  The curse of 35 hits Chinese people

A&nbsp;Chinese&nbsp;national&nbsp;has been&nbsp;sentenced&nbsp;to 29 months in&nbsp;prison&nbsp;after&nbsp;pleading&nbsp;guilty&nbsp;in January to conspiring to steal&nbsp;trade&nbsp;secrets&nbsp;from agricultural company Monsanto to benefit the&nbsp;Chinese&nbsp;government, the U.S. Justice Department said on Thursday.

Xiang Haitao, 44, who was employed by Monsanto and a subsidiary from 2008 to 2017, had pleaded&nbsp;guilty&nbsp;in Missouri federal court to one count of conspiracy to commit economic espionage.

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On Thursday, he was&nbsp;sentenced&nbsp;to 29 months in&nbsp;prison&nbsp;followed by three years of supervised release and a $150,000 fine, the Justice Department said in a statement.

"Xiang conspired to steal an important&nbsp;trade&nbsp;secret to gain an unfair advantage for himself and the PRC (People's Republic of China)," said Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen of the Justice Department's&nbsp;National&nbsp;Security Division.

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"Economic espionage is a serious&nbsp;offense that can threaten U.S. companies’ competitive advantage, and the&nbsp;National&nbsp;Security Division is committed to holding accountable anyone who steals&nbsp;trade&nbsp;secrets&nbsp;to benefit a foreign government," Olsen said.

Federal officials found Xiang in possession of copies of a proprietary predictive algorithm developed by Monsanto as he was waiting to board a flight to China in June 2017, the Justice Department said.

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He was allowed to fly to China, where he worked for the&nbsp;Chinese&nbsp;Academy of Science's Institute of Soil Science. He was arrested when he returned to the United States in November 2019, the Justice Department added.

Monsanto was acquired by Bayer AG in 2018.

A Chinese national has been sentenced to 29 months in prison after pleading guilty in January to conspiring to steal trade secrets from agricultural company Monsanto to benefit the Chinese government, the U.

A Chinese national has been sentenced to 29 months in prison after pleading guilty in January to conspiring to steal trade secrets from agricultural company Monsanto to benefit the Chinese government, the U.S. Justice Department said on Thursday. Xiang Haitao, 44, who was employed by Monsanto and a subsidiary from 2008 to 2017, had pleaded guilty in Missouri federal court to one count of conspiracy to commit economic espionage. Also read | Morning news brief: US ends normal trade ties with Russia, Omicron lasts three days less than Delta, and more On Thursday, he was sentenced to 29 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release and a $150,000 fine, the Justice Department said in a statement. "Xiang conspired to steal an important trade secret to gain an unfair advantage for himself and the PRC (People's Republic of China)," said Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen of the Justice Department's National Security Division. Watch | Severe storm wreaks havoc in South US & destroys government building and houses "Economic espionage is a serious offense that can threaten U.S. companies’ competitive advantage, and the National Security Division is committed to holding accountable anyone who steals trade secrets to benefit a foreign government," Olsen said. Federal officials found Xiang in possession of copies of a proprietary predictive algorithm developed by Monsanto as he was waiting to board a flight to China in June 2017, the Justice Department said. Also read | Ukraine invasion: US Congress votes to end normal trade relations with Russia He was allowed to fly to China, where he worked for the Chinese Academy of Science's Institute of Soil Science. He was arrested when he returned to the United States in November 2019, the Justice Department added. Monsanto was acquired by Bayer AG in 2018.

Chinese national sent to US prison after pleading guilty to stealing trade secrets

The Chinese are probably looking forward to 2021. The Chinese New Year, which commences on February 2021, will mark the Year of the Ox, according to their 12-year zodiac.

What is China's year of ox and why it matters to the people in China

They play on a football pitch with plastic wickets and most Chinese people have never even heard of cricket. But a devoted band of followers says the sport is gradually growing in China, where there is thought to be only one grass cricket pitch for a population of 1.4 billion people.

'What's cricket?' China strikes out against the odds

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Gravitas: The curse of 35 hits Chinese people

Chinese national sent to US prison after pleading guilty to stealing trade secrets

What is China's year of ox and why it matters to the people in China

'What's cricket?' China strikes out against the odds