The arrest of a man accused of espionage on behalf of Beijing this weekend in Britain sparked concerns in Western countries about Chinese operations by intelligence agencies.
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.
– Computer hacking –
According to researchers and intelligence officials from Western countries, China has become an expert at hacking rival countries’ computer systems to obtain industrial and commercial secrets.
In 2021, the United States, its allies, and NATO accused the Chinese government of carrying out a massive hack of computer giant Microsoft, to access emails and capture confidential information from individuals and companies.
Chinese hackers are also suspected of operating in the United States against the Department of Energy, public utilities, telecommunications companies and universities, according to Washington and the press.
– New technology –
The United States is stepping up its warnings about the TikTok app and the risks its relationship with China poses to national security.
Some lawmakers worry that TikTok’s parent company, Chinese group ByteDance, could access American users’ personal data and send it to Chinese authorities.
Washington blacklisted the Huawei group, which is best known for its cellphones but also as a supplier of equipment for networks and 5G.
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.
– Informant –
Beijing relies on Chinese citizens abroad to obtain information and steal cutting-edge technology, Washington says.
One of the most prominent cases is that of Chinese engineer 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 Sun, a naturalized Chinese American engineer who worked for defense at Raytheon, was sentenced to prison after bringing company computers to China that contained critical information about American missile systems.
– Policy –
To obtain first-hand information and promote its interests, Beijing also contacts leading figures in the political and economic fields.
According to the Sunday Times, the man detained in England had contacts with members of the ruling Conservative Party since he was an investigator in Parliament.
In 2020, the information site Axios claimed that a Chinese student had established ties with a series of American politicians, assigned by Beijing’s intelligence agency.
This student, Fang Fang, earned their trust by participating in fundraising campaigns and even having sexual relations with some of them, according to Axios.
– “Police station” –
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.
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