Chinese intelligence activity abroad

Chinese intelligence is believed to be highly active outside of the People's Republic of China.[1][2] China is the largest intelligence collector in the Netherlands, as well as in several other EU countries, and one of the top five intelligence collectors in the United States. Chinese human-intelligence operations primarily rely on collecting a small amount of information from a large number of people.[3]

Contents

Method of operation

It is generally believed that Chinese intelligence agencies operate differently from other espionage organizations by employing primarily academics or students who will be in their host country only a short time, rather than spending years cultivating a few high-level sources or double agents.[4][5][6] Much information about the Chinese intelligence services comes from defectors, whom the PRC accuses of lying to promote an anti-PRC agenda.[7][8][9][10] One known exception to this rule is the case of Katrina Leung, who was accused of starting an affair with an FBI agent to gain sensitive documents from him. A U.S. judge dismissed all charges against her due to prosecutorial misconduct.[11][12]

The United States believes the Chinese military has been developing network technology in recent years in order to perform espionage on other nations. Several cases of computer intrusions suspected of Chinese involvement have been found in various countries including Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, India and the United States.[13][14][15]

In 2009, Canadian researchers say they have found evidence that Chinese hackers had gained access to computers possessed by government and private organizations in 103 countries, although researchers say there is no conclusive evidence China's government was behind it.[16] Beijing also denied involvement. The researchers said the computers penetrated include those of the Dalai Lama and Tibetan exiles.[17]

Ira Winkler, a former National Security Agency staff and a security consultant, said that Chinese intelligence operatives work by approaching ethnic Chinese by reminding them of "Chinese heritage, telling them they must help".[18]

Objectives

It is believed that Chinese espionage is aimed at gaining commercial, technological, and military secrets.McElroy, Damien (2005-07-03). "China aims spy network at trade secrets in Europe". Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/07/03/wchin03.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/07/03/ixnewstop.html. Retrieved 2008-04-08. </ref>[19][20][21]

Two diplomats who defected in Australia have claimed that China operates more than 1,000 spies and informants in Australia alone; their mission, they said, is industrial espionage but also disruption of the Falun Gong movement. China accused them of lying so they could stay in Australia. Canadian businessman Joe Wang believes that threatening letters he received after broadcasting programs about alleged human rights abuses in China were from the Chinese consulate; one of the envelopes contained boric acid. In November 2005 the United States arrested four people in Los Angeles on suspicion of being involved in a Chinese spy ring.

Taiwanese-American scientist Wen Ho Lee (born in Nantou, Taiwan December 21, 1939) was accused and investigated on the grounds of espionage in 1999 but was acquitted of all charges except for mishandling classified data. Chinese "Subtle Spying" practice avoids and defends against the United States' prosecution-heavy investigative counterintelligence procedures by introducing large elements of plausible deniability and obfuscating the line between deliberate and unintentional espionage activities.

Intelligence activity worldwide

In recent years, the Chinese government is thought to have played a key role in conducting espionage activities on several other nations and regions.

Europe

Belgian Justice Minister Jo Vandeurzen accused the Chinese government of electronic espionage against the government of Belgium, while Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht informed the Belgian Federal Parliament that his ministry was hacked by Chinese agents. The espionage is possibly linked to Belgium hosting the headquarters of NATO and the European Union.[22] The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Leuven was also believed to be the center for a group of Chinese students in Europe conducting industrial espionage.[23]

There have been several incidents of suspected Chinese spies in France. This includes Shi Pei Pu, a Chinese opera singer from Beijing who convinced a French diplomat that he was a woman, and spied on France.[24] French media also portrayed Li Li (李李), a 22-year-old Chinese intern at car parts maker Valeo, as an industrial spy.[25] Both the French prosecution and Valeo refuted media claims of spying and the case is later considered to be a psychosis.[26][27]

Germany suspects that China has stolen billions of euros worth of business secrets, according to Berthold Stoppelkamp, head of the ASW association for economic security, and also spied on Uighur expatriates living in the country.[28][29] Chinese hackers have been suspected of using Trojan horse spyware on various government computers, including those of the Chancellory.[30] In 2011, a German was charged with spying on Uighurs in Munich.[31]

In May 2009, Stefan Zielonka, a Polish cipher officer working for the Military Information Services, disappeared. He is suspected of providing the Chinese government with Polish and NATO cryptography information.[32] Zielonka's body was later retrieved from the Vistula river, although investigators remain uncertain as to whether Zielonka was attempting to defect or commit suicide.[33]

In December 2007, Igor Reshetin, the Chief Executive of Tsniimash-Export, and three researchers were sentenced to prison for passing on dual-purpose technology to the Chinese. Analysts speculated that the leaked technology could help China develop improved missiles and accelerate the Chinese space program.[34][35] In September 2010, the Russian Federal Security Service detained two scientists working at the Baltic State Technical University in Saint Petersburg. The two are charged with passing on classified information to China, possibly through the Harbin Engineering University.[36][37]

Babur Maihesuti, a Chinese Uighur who became a Swedish citizen was arrested for spying on the Uighur refugee communities in Sweden, Norway, Germany and the United States, and ultimately sentenced for illegal espionage activity.[38][39][40]

UK officials, including experts at its MI5 intelligence agency, are fearful that China could shut down businesses in the nation with Chinese cyber attacks and spy equipment embedded in computer and telecommunications equipment. [41][42]

Asia

India has quietly informed companies to avoid using Chinese-made telecommunications equipment, fearing that it may have spy capabilities embedded within it. And, India's intelligence service, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) believes that China is using dozens of study centers that it has set up in Nepal near the Indian border in part for the purposes of spying on India.[43][44]

Some people in Nepal suspected that Gyanendra was responsible for the Nepalese royal massacre in liaison with Ministry of State Security of the People's Republic of China on June 1, 2001, and that he had blamed Dipendra so that he could assume the throne himself.

In Sri Lanka, Jayalalithaa Jayaram - head of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam - stated that Chinese laborers working in parts of the country devastated by the Sri Lankan Civil War were infiltrated with Chinese spies on surveillance missions targeted at Tamil Nadu, India.[45]

The PRC and Taiwan regularly accuse each other of spying.[46] Presidential aide Wang Jen-ping was found in 2009 to have sold nearly 100 confidential documents to China since 2007; Military intelligence officer Lo Chi-cheng was found to have been acting as a double agent in 2010 for China since 2007; Maj. Gen. Lo Hsien-che, electronic communications and information bureau chief during the administration of former President Chen Shui-bian, has been suspected of selling military secrets to Mainland China since 2004.[47]

North America

Canada

Former Chineses spies have reported that China has more than 1000 spies in Canada, more than in any other country outside China. The Canadian government fears that the Chinese have stolen considerable business and industrial secrets from the country.[48][49] The head of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service Richard Fadden declared in a television interview that various Canadian politicians at provincial and municipal levels had ties to Chinese intelligence, but he withdrew the statement a few days later.[50]

United States

Main article: Chinese intelligence operations in the United States

China is suspected of having a long history of espionage in the United States against military and industrial secrets, often resorting to direct espionage, exploitation of commercial entities, and a network of scientific, academic, and business contacts. Several U.S. citizens have been convicted for spying for China. Naturalized citizen Dongfan Chung, an engineer working with Boeing, was the first person convicted under the Economic Espionage Act of 1996. Chung is suspected of having passed on classified information on designs including the Delta IV rocket, F-15 Eagle, B-52 Stratofortress and the CH-46 and CH-47 helicopters.[51]

China’s espionage and cyber attacks against the US government and business organizations are a major concern, according to the seventh annual report (issued Sept 2009) to the US Congress of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission.[52] “Although attribution is a problem in cyber attacks, the scale and coordination of the attacks strongly indicates Chinese state involvement,” said commission vice chairman Larry Wortzel. “In addition to harming U.S. interests, Chinese human and cyber espionage activities provide China with a method for leaping forward in economic, technological, and military development.” The report cited that the number of cyber attacks from China against the US Department of Defense computer systems had grown from 43,880 in 2007 to 54,640 in 2008, a nearly 20 percent increase.[53][54] Reuters reported that the Commission found that the Chinese government has placed many of its computer network responsibilities under the direction of the People's Liberation Army, and was using the data mostly for military purposes.[55] In response, China slammed the report as “full of prejudice,” and warning it could damage China-US relations. "We advise this so-called commission not to always view China through tinted glasses," Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said.[56]

Elsewhere

Australia

Australia believes that Chinese have been spying on Australian businesses and the Falun Gong movement. A former Chinese diplomat has claimed that he spied for China and that China has 1000 spies in Australia.[57][58]

Latin America

Experts believe that China has recently increased its spy capabilities in Latin America, perhaps with help from the Cuban government.[59]

See also

References

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