Washington ? A human rights advocate freed from a Chinese prison after the U.S. government interceded on her behalf pleaded guilty Wednesday to illegally selling American high-tech items with potential military uses to China.

Gao Zhan, who was born in China but is a U.S. resident living in McLean, Va., pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful export for selling 80 microprocessors. She also pleaded guilty to tax evasion, as did her husband, Xue Donghua.

“The technology exported in this case is tightly controlled for good reason: It can be used in sensitive military systems,” said Kevin Delli-Colli, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent. The Defense Criminal Investigative Service also is involved in the case.

Gao could face up to 10 years in prison, with sentencing set for March 5.

Gao gained international attention when she was arrested in China on Feb. 11, 2001, on charges of spying for Taiwan. She and her husband and their 5-year-old son were about to return to the United States following a visit when they were seized by government agents.

Gao was jailed. Her husband, who is an American citizen, and son were detained and separated from each other for 26 days before being allowed to return to the United States without her.

Her release was secured in part by President Bush’s phone call to Chinese President Jiang Zemin, which came during a time of tense U.S.-China relations following an mid-air collision between a U.S. spy plane and a Chinese fighter jet.

While court documents lay out the crimes Gao admitted committing, U.S. officials were unable to explain why China suspected her of spying against it if she had been helping the Chinese government for years before that.

According to prosecutors, from 1998 to 2001 Gao helped the Chinese government obtain more than $1.5 million in sensitive items using a false name and a front company.