The arrest of a man accused of espionage for Beijing this weekend in England sparked controversy Western countries’ concerns about China’s operations from the intelligence agency.

This episode occurred several months after a Chinese balloon was detected flying over the United States, which they assumed was a spying device and shot it down. This event caused a diplomatic crisis between the two countries.

This is the main tool that China has used to spy on Western countries in recent years.

According to researchers and intelligence officials from Western countries, China has become an expert at hacking the computer systems of its rival countriesto obtain industrial and commercial secrets.

The United States, its allies and NATO accused the Chinese government of carrying out a massive hack of the computer giant in 2021 Microsoftto access emails and capture confidential information from individuals and companies.

Chinese hackers are also suspected of operating in the United States against Department of Energy, utilities, telecommunications companies and universitiesaccording to Washington and the press.

The United States doubled down on its warning against the app ICT tock and the risks they pose relations with China can cause national security.

Some lawmakers are concerned about TikTok’s parent company, a Chinese group ByteDancecan access American users’ personal data and send it to Chinese authorities.

Washington blacklisted the group Huaweiis known for its mobile phones but also as a supplier of network and 5G equipment.

Without testing them, the United States is concerned that these products function as access to monitor communications and data circulation, but this is denied by Huawei.

Beijing relies on Chinese citizens abroad to obtain information and steal cutting-edge technology, Washington claims.

One of the most prominent cases is that of Chinese engineers Ji Chaoqun, who arrived in the United States in 2013 on a student visa. Ji was sentenced to eight years in prison in January in the United States for providing information to Chinese intelligence agencies about American scientists who could be recruited as information sources.

In 2020, Wei Sunan American engineer of Chinese descent who worked for defense at Raytheon, was sentenced to prison after bringing company computers to China that contained critical information about American missile systems.

To obtain first-hand information and promote its interests, Beijing also contacts leading figures in the political and economic fields.

According to her Sunday Timeman detained in Britain had contacts with deputies of the ruling Conservative Party when he was an investigator in Parliament.

In 2020, information page axio claimed that a Chinese student had it Established relationships with a number of American politicianscommissioned by Beijing’s intelligence agency.

This student, Fangfangwould gain their trust by participating in fundraising campaigns and even having sexual relations with some of them, according to Axios.

China has a series of secret “police stations” in the United States and other countries, human rights organization Safeguard Defenders said.

These unannounced structures are capable of monitoring dissidents or exerting pressure on them, according to the Madrid-based organization. Beijing denies the accusations.

The Netherlands ordered China in November to close two such centers on its territory. A month later, Beijing closed two similar buildings in Prague.

(With information from AFP)