Beijing Auto says watching ex-Ford engineer theft case

Shanghai, October 20 (Gasgoo.com) Beijing Auto, an employer of a former Ford Motor engineer arrested in the U.S. last week for allegedly stealing trade secrets, said today it is watching the case closely, but relies on its self-developed designs and technology, the AP reported.

The statement by Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Corp. (BAIC) was its first official comment on the Oct. 14 arrest of Yu Xiangdong, aka Mike Yu, on allegations he copied thousands of electronic documents and stole trade secrets before quitting Ford Motor where he worked from 1997 to early 2007.

"Beijing Auto has always respected and sought to protect intellectual property rights. In its independent research and development process, it has always stressed the cultivation of its own innovation capabilities and is committed to research and development of its own brand autos," said the statement.

The Beijing-based company, one of China's biggest state-run automakers and a partner with Hyundai Motor and Daimler AG, said it was concerned and was closely monitoring Yu's case. Yu, who used to be a product engineer at Ford, has worked in Beijing Auto's research division for 11 months.

An indictment in Detroit charges Yu, 47, with theft and attempted theft of trade secrets and unauthorized access to a computer. The maximum penalty on the theft-related charges is 10 years in prison. He remains in federal custody in Chicago, where a detention hearing is set for today.

Beijing Auto statement said Yu had requested a brief leave of absence when he traveled back to the U.S. The Chinese carmaker said yesterday that the man was on personal leave when he was arrested in Chicago.