Two computer engineers in the US state of California have been charged with <A HREF="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7015916.stm">conspiring to steal microchip designs</A> to sell to the Chinese military. US citizen Lee Lan and Chinese national Ge Yuefei are accused of stealing computer chip designs from their employer Netlogics Microsystems.

The two are alleged to have formed a company to develop chips based on the stolen designs. They then contacted the Chinese army to sell the chips, prosecutors said.