WASHINGTON -- After a two-year investigation of Chinese political contributions to the 1996 election, federal authorities have uncovered new evidence that Beijing's efforts were part of a broader campaign to obtain access to American high technology, according to lawyers and investigators quoted in The New York Times today.

The evidence, reports the Times, provides a clearer understanding of China's motivations. Investigators now believe the money was primarily intended to enhance the political standing of those passing along the contributions to Democratic causes, to give them clout in arguing for favorable policies on trade and technology.

"Technology was a primary motive," said a senior Justice Department official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

It appears, the official said, that China intended to follow the example of American corporations, which use donations to raise the profile of their Washington lobbyists. Under American law, foreign governments are prohibited from contributing to campaigns.

One of the new pieces of evidence involves Charles Trie, who served on a Presidential commission on Asian trade policy. Trie is said to have met in Beijing with Chinese officials and asked for $1 million that could be used for political activities in the United States. Their response could not be learned.

According to the investigators, Trie told associates he had Chinese backing. He eventually raised or contributed more than $1 million to Democratic Party causes. The campaign inquiry is now examining whether any of this money originated with Chinese companies or officials. Records show that Trie received almost $1 million from a Macao businessman with ties to the Chinese government.

There is new information about John Huang, who worked as a banker in Los Angeles before joining the Clinton administration. Officials said he was overheard on government surveillance equipment discussing political donations with a Chinese official at the Los Angeles consulate.

Details of his conversation could not be learned. Huang subsequently joined the Commerce Department as a mid-level trade official. Because of his previous work as a banker in Hong Kong, he was barred from participating in decisions about China. Nonetheless, officials said, Huang obtained at least one secret government report on exports of military-related technology to China, which he kept in his office safe.

Huang has not been charged with wrongdoing, but $1.6 million of the $3.4 million he raised was returned by the Democratic Party because of unanswered questions about its origins.

China's efforts in the 1996 elections came at a time when the Clinton administration was relaxing controls over technology exports and military exchanges with China, a policy that dovetailed precisely with Beijing's interests. Still, no evidence has surfaced that administration officials knew about the covert Chinese activities.

Technology is central to the future of China's armed forces. Beijing's military strategy, once dependent on a massive land-based army, has shifted to a reliance on a smaller, more mobile military heavily oriented to sophisticated computer and other electronic weaponry.

A recent Pentagon report concludes that the Chinese Army has shown "exceptional interest" in acquiring and developing advanced technology, from information and electronic warfare to anti-satellite laser capabilities and telecommunications networks.

The complete New York Times report, which requires registration to be viewed, can be found at their website.