From Australia to Europe, allies are stepping up their efforts against the growing threat from the Middle Kingdom.
The head of the British intelligence service GCHQ called China a "challenge of the era", emphasizing the seriousness of the situation that has developed around the constant espionage of the Middle Kingdom.
So, against the background of the arrests of people accused of spying for China, as well as the summoning of the Chinese ambassador to the British Foreign Office, tensions between the West and China are escalating.
Western countries, such as the United States and its allies, are eager to counter China's influence. But many senior officials are concerned that the West has not paid enough attention to the threat from China for a long time, which increases its vulnerability to China now, creating risks of wrong next steps.
According to some political experts, Chinese President Xi Jinping intends to create a new international order, removing the United States from the position of a leading world power. The head of MI6, Sir Richard Moore, noted that China is striving for dominance, despite years of warnings from Western intelligence agencies.
China's rise in the 2000s came amid other global challenges, such as the fight against terrorism and the military conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. Recent conflicts in the Middle East have also significantly diverted global attention away from China.
In addition, economic interests also played a role. Politicians and businessmen preferred not to focus on espionage threats in order to maintain access to the Chinese market. This allowed China to actively engage in industrial espionage, while remaining in the shadows.
Chinese intelligence agents act differently from their Western counterparts. China's main goal is to ensure regime stability, which includes economic growth and technology transfer from Western companies to Chinese state-owned enterprises.
Mike Burgess, head of Australian intelligence at Asio, admitted that Western countries had underestimated the threat from China. At a meeting of the Five Eyes Alliance in California, he stressed the importance of understanding China's espionage activities, especially in the areas of cyber espionage and insider recruitment.
Western security services cannot investigate every case. For example, in the UK, more than 20 thousand people were recruited by Chinese spies through social networks for professionals, such as LinkedIn. These large-scale campaigns can have serious consequences for national security and the economy.
China also uses its spies to stifle criticism abroad. Recently, such cases were recorded in the UK, Belgium and Germany. There have also been reports of entire Chinese-controlled police stations located in Europe and the United States being used to pressure dissidents.
Australia was the first to worry about Chinese political interference, and in 2018 passed new laws to combat it. In the UK, MI5 accused lawyer Christine Li of promoting China's interests in British politics. And only in 2023, a new law on national security was adopted there.
Western intelligence agencies also conduct intelligence against China, but face difficulties due to the total surveillance inside the country and the widespread use of Chinese technology. This creates risks of misinterpreting China's intentions, which can lead to dangerous consequences, especially in matters of Taiwan and the South China Sea.
The head of MI6 stressed the importance of open communication channels to avoid conflicts and the need to have insider information about competitors. Despite improved contacts between the U.S. and Chinese militaries, the long-term outlook remains worrisome.
The head of the British intelligence service GCHQ called China a "challenge of the era", emphasizing the seriousness of the situation that has developed around the constant espionage of the Middle Kingdom.
So, against the background of the arrests of people accused of spying for China, as well as the summoning of the Chinese ambassador to the British Foreign Office, tensions between the West and China are escalating.
Western countries, such as the United States and its allies, are eager to counter China's influence. But many senior officials are concerned that the West has not paid enough attention to the threat from China for a long time, which increases its vulnerability to China now, creating risks of wrong next steps.
According to some political experts, Chinese President Xi Jinping intends to create a new international order, removing the United States from the position of a leading world power. The head of MI6, Sir Richard Moore, noted that China is striving for dominance, despite years of warnings from Western intelligence agencies.
China's rise in the 2000s came amid other global challenges, such as the fight against terrorism and the military conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. Recent conflicts in the Middle East have also significantly diverted global attention away from China.
In addition, economic interests also played a role. Politicians and businessmen preferred not to focus on espionage threats in order to maintain access to the Chinese market. This allowed China to actively engage in industrial espionage, while remaining in the shadows.
Chinese intelligence agents act differently from their Western counterparts. China's main goal is to ensure regime stability, which includes economic growth and technology transfer from Western companies to Chinese state-owned enterprises.
Mike Burgess, head of Australian intelligence at Asio, admitted that Western countries had underestimated the threat from China. At a meeting of the Five Eyes Alliance in California, he stressed the importance of understanding China's espionage activities, especially in the areas of cyber espionage and insider recruitment.
Western security services cannot investigate every case. For example, in the UK, more than 20 thousand people were recruited by Chinese spies through social networks for professionals, such as LinkedIn. These large-scale campaigns can have serious consequences for national security and the economy.
China also uses its spies to stifle criticism abroad. Recently, such cases were recorded in the UK, Belgium and Germany. There have also been reports of entire Chinese-controlled police stations located in Europe and the United States being used to pressure dissidents.
Australia was the first to worry about Chinese political interference, and in 2018 passed new laws to combat it. In the UK, MI5 accused lawyer Christine Li of promoting China's interests in British politics. And only in 2023, a new law on national security was adopted there.
Western intelligence agencies also conduct intelligence against China, but face difficulties due to the total surveillance inside the country and the widespread use of Chinese technology. This creates risks of misinterpreting China's intentions, which can lead to dangerous consequences, especially in matters of Taiwan and the South China Sea.
The head of MI6 stressed the importance of open communication channels to avoid conflicts and the need to have insider information about competitors. Despite improved contacts between the U.S. and Chinese militaries, the long-term outlook remains worrisome.
