Over 160 scientists from a top US nuclear lab have been poached over a period of 34 years to help China develop their hypersonic missiles programme, according to a report.
The study carried out by private intelligence firm, Strider Technologies, found that between 1987 and as recent as last year, 162 Chinese scientists who worked at the top secret Los Alamos National Laboratory, where the atom bomb was made, returned to their homeland.
This was to work on "domestic research and development programmes", most notably 'world-ending warheads, drones, camouflage and submarines,' reported by the study.
It is believed that the scientists were sworn in by the Chinese Communist Party due to excessive salaries of up to $1 million (£881,515) and even bigger research grants.
Around 80 per cent of the defectors were recruited into Beijing's development courses including Thousand Talents Programme (TTP).
According to the study, one scientist was offered $20 million (£17.6m) in grants by Los Alamos to develop "deep-penetrating warheads" and high-level security clearance only to turn their back and join TTP in China.
Author of the report, Greg Levesque told The Telegraph: "Nothing about it is ad hoc. What the Chinese government has set up is a system.
"That system is built to incentivise folks to make those decisions to go to the US, go to the UK, study, learn, and then there are financial and reputational benefits to actually going back [to China].
"They have a name for the system, it's the talent superpower strategy. That system includes not only recruiting talent, but also sending emerging talent overseas."
The US Department of Energy, which oversees Los Alamos, forbade its staff from engaging with China's recruitment.
A US Department of Energy statement said: "In response to growing research security threats, the Department of Energy has taken significant steps in recent years, including the adoption of rigorous vetting, counterintelligence reviews, and restrictions on participation in foreign talent programmes."
There are increasing concerns that nuclear weapons could become a reality as Defence Secretary Ben Wallace embarked on an urgent trip to Washington amid fears Vladimir Putin could detonate a nuke over the Black Sea.
Armed Forces Minister James Heappey said the conversations Wallace would be having were "beyond belief" after he made the trip on Monday.
Mr Heappey said they were "the sort of conversations that [are] beyond belief really" and remarked on "the fact we are at a time when these sorts of conversations are necessary ".
The quickly arranged meeting will see Wallace attend the American capital to talk about "shared security concerns". Little else about the meeting was shared and both US and UK officials offered few details.
