The leaders of both the FBI and the MI5, which is the equivalent agency for the United Kingdom, took the stage together this past Wednesday morning in order to issue a warning of espionage to the world business leaders stemming from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) trying to subvert national security and Western Economy.
FBI Director Christopher Wray and MI5 Director-General Ken McCallum issued shocking news to world-leading technology, research, and commercial business owners concerning the long-term threat of the Chinese government in regard to Western investments’ economic and national security. They did make sure to highlight, however, that the Chinese people, both aboard and at home, are themselves victims of the tyranny of the Chinese government.
“I’ll start with what this danger looks like,” explained Wray. “The Chinese government is set on stealing your technology—whatever it is that makes your industry tick—and using it to undercut your business and dominate your market.”
“And they’re set on using every tool at their disposal to do it,” he continued.
For his part, McCallum echoed the sentiment, calling on the business leaders to action while the CCP continued to stealthily apply pressure all across the world.
“By volume, most of what is at risk from Chinese Communist Party aggression is not, so to speak, my stuff,” stated McCallum. “It’s yours — and others like you.”
Wray explained that the CCP makes use of intelligence officers who target the private sector through the use of “co-optees,” that know basic intelligence operations, how to recruit sources, and how to covertly steal business secrets everywhere.
“We’ve even caught people affiliated with Chinese companies out in the U.S. heartland, sneaking into fields to dig up proprietary, genetically modified seeds, which would have cost them nearly a decade and billions in research to develop themselves,” he explained.
Wray stated CCP operatives make use of cyber warfare as well, along with stealing and cheating on a grand scale.
He also highlighted that just last year Microsoft issued a report that stated that hackers with Chinese government backing worked to install well over 10,000 backdoors throughout U.S. networks, giving them access to copious amounts of data.
One spokesman for the Chinese embassy located in Washington, Lio Pengyu, stated his denial of these “groundless” acusations from both the FBI and MI5 to reporters with Associated Press, claiming that China “firmly opposes and combats all forms of cyber attacks.”
“We will never encourage, support, or condone cyber attacks,” stated the response statement.
Despite the denials, both the FBI and MI5 leaders stand by their claims.
The FBI director explained that the Chinese government uses tactics to steal valuable tech from American firms right through the front door. MI5’s General McCallum further explained that CCP operatives “slowly” build friendships with the goal to get commercially withheld information and use that information to promote national interest.
“The aim of these tactics is to create a debt of obligation on the part of the target, who will eventually find it difficult to refuse inevitable requests for favors in return,” stated McCallum.
Wray pressed his warning further by stating that these Chinese companies are owned by the CCP.
“When you deal with a Chinese company, know you’re also dealing with the Chinese government,” he explained.