A Chinese intelligence officer allegedly tried to steal trade secrets from an American aviation company.

That's according to the Department of Justice, which  revealed on Wednesday  it had extradited Yanjun Xu from Belgium and charged him with attempting to commit economic espionage.  In  a criminal complaint , the FBI alleges Xu corresponded with an employee from GE Aviation in Ohio and set up a meeting in Belgium to get company files detailing jet engine designs.

Xu's arrest and extradition, which the DOJ says are unprecedented, come during a time of heightened tensions between the U.S. and China — largely driven by  President Donald Trump's economic policy .

Axios  reported in September  that the White House was planning an administration-wide effort to "call out" China's alleged misdeeds, including intellectual property theft.  Additional reporting by  Newsy affiliate CNN .