"Opening statements could begin later this week for a trial US District Judge Cormac Carney has said could run four to six weeks," said assistant prosecutor Greg Staples said.

Jury selection from among 75 prospective jurors began in the Santa Ana courtroom outside Los Angeles on Tuesday.

The former top engineer had access to military technology on silencing submarines at a US corporation with contacts in the US Navy.

Mak could face as much as 50 years in prison if he is found guilty.

The Guangzhou, China native has been a US citizen since 1985.

Mak, who is also charged with acting as an agent of China in the United States and with making false statements, was arrested after agents swooped down on two relatives at Los Angeles International Airport as they prepared to board a flight to Hong Kong.

According to Justice Department documents, the duo were caught with a disk containing sensitive encrypted data on US submarines hidden inside an English-language CD course.

Mak has not been charged with espionage because the information on the disk has not officially been deemed classified.

Instead prosecutors say the data relates to weapons-related technology that requires an appropriate export license, which Mak never sought.

Mak has denied the charges. Defense lawyer Ronald Kaye has described his client as having an "unblemished" character.

Kaye has also said all the data referred to in the case was made available at a public conference, and so cannot be described as secret.

The investigation began in early 2004, when federal agents began audio and video surveillance of the engineer and his family.

Although the case is not an espionage trial, prosecution documents give an insight into a shadowy world of intrigue, revealing Chinese intelligence code names such as Red Flower, Winter Chrysanthemum and Autumn Orchid.

In a raid at Mak's home, prosecutors say they also discovered a wish-list of US military technology, including information on missile defense and torpedo systems.

The trial comes amid increasing US concern about Chinese intelligence activities.

A senior official said in remarks published earlier this month that Chinese agents were the most active in the world and were aggressively pursuing advanced technology.

"The technology bleed to China, among others, is a very serious problem," Joel Brenner, the new head of the Office of the National Counterintelligence Executive, told The Washington Times.

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