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Great article. Well written. And fascinating to read. Probably most of us here are familiar with the threat posed by China, but I surely didn't know most of these details. Good job and congratulations.
Hopefully it’s a wakeup call. For far too long many Americans have relegated China to primitive 3rd World status. They are rapidly catching up.
I wonder about the naval base in California we sold to the PLA.
"Almost single-handedly, Shih destroyed America’s advantage in night optic technology"
Isn't Multiculturalism a wonderful thing!
http://www.strategypage.com/search.asp?target=c:\inetpub\strategypageroot\dls\docs\200522722.htm&search=spies
The FBI and the Chinese Spy Army
by James Dunnigan
February 27, 2005
Discussion Board on this DLS topic
China has been running a massive intelligence operation against the United States for over two decades. But they are starting to be victims of their own success, as the FBI round up more and more Chinese spies. China has been using a very clever, and effective technique to steal technology, and even military secrets, from the United States. Call it the “swarming spies method.” In the 1980s, China began to send thousands of students to American schools, and many more Chinese managers and technical experts began to visit as well. Chinese intelligence made sure they had a chat with many of these people before they left, and after they came back. The people going to America were asked to bring back anything that might “help the motherland.” Most of these people were not asked to actually act as spies, but simply to share, with Chinese government officials (who were not always identified as intelligence personnel) whatever information they obtained. Of course, it soon became open knowledge in China, and in American intelligence agencies, what was going on.
China has never been energetic at enforcing intellectual property laws. If a Chinese student came back with valuable technical information (obtained in a classroom, in a job, or simply while socializing), the data was often passed on to Chinese companies, or military organizations, that could use it. Since there were few individual Chinese bringing back a lot of data, or material (CDs full of technical data, or actual components or devices), it was difficult for the FBI to catch Chinese “spies”. There were thousands of them, and most were simply going back to China with secrets in their heads. How do you stop that?
The FBI has managed to crack the more ambitious of these spies, the ones caught red handed with actual objects. But most of the swarm moved back to China unhindered. Naturally, the Chinese pushed their system as far as they could. Why not? There was little risk. The Chinese offered large cash rewards for Chinese who could get particularly valuable stuff back to China. Chinese intelligence looked on these "purchases" as strictly commercial transactions. If the Chinese “spies” got caught, they were on their own. The Chinese involved knew the rules. If they were successful, they won favor with the government, or even made a pile of money, and the Chinese government was agreeable to whatever business deals these "patriotic" Chinese tried to put together back in China. This kind of clout is important in China, where a “friend in the government” is more valuable than in the United States.
But more and more of these ambitious Chinese agents are getting caught, largely because the FBI has made the problem known to the American business and academic community. Chinese-Americans, in particular, have been very active in supplying tips to the FBI. The number of arrests the FBI has been making has been going up 20-30 percent a year for the past few years. The FBI has more work than they can handle.
The Chinese are feeling the heat, not that they are in any danger of being cut off from opportunities to steal American technology, though. But the Chinese system has reached its limits, and is being pushed back in some areas. It is thought that the Chinese are responding by trying to terrorize Chinese-Americans, at least those with family back in China, by threatening to make life uncomfortable for family members back in the old country if Chinese-Americans interfere with the spying, or any other Chinese government activities. The Chinese have been discreet with this. The last thing they want is a lot of stories of heavy handed pressure on Chinese-Americans. But arrests of Chinese-Americans back in China on business, or to visit family, sends a message. These arrests, and lesser forms of harassment, make it clear that there can be consequences. The Chinese deny any pressure tactics, but they are feeling the heat from the increased scrutiny of Chinese citizens in the United States, and the growing eagerness of Chinese-Americans to watch for this low level spying, and report it. The down side of the Chinese “swarm” system is that they are using amateur spies. Many don’t even know they are spying, or don't think of themselves as spies. After all, the only thing they are doing is having a long talk with Chinese intelligence officials (usually with a technical expert in attendance), when they get back. Each of these conversations might yield a few useful bits of information. Putting a lot of these bits together and you get something useful, like how to build better jet engines, or nuclear weapons.
There are currently some 19,000 Chinese studying in American schools, and thousands more visiting for business purposes. Most want nothing to do with spying, but very few will refuse a request to have a chat with Chinese intelligence officers when they get home.
China could never attack, invade and rule America and America could never attack, invade and rule China. No t under any circumstances or conditions.
Other than Taiwan [a big other...I live in Taiwan], I don't see why the relationship has to be confrontational.
Of course, economics is another matter. China now is like the US in the late 19th century, with only [possible] looming environmental and [almost certain] demographic collapse / chaos to hold it back.
I believe that it probably is more impressive than what the Soviet Union managed to build in the 1930s and 1940s. From what little has been published about its successes, the Chinese have done very well indeed.
And the question to be asked is; how many of these Chinese businesses were established during the Clinton adminstration, with blessing.
Bump.
Thank you for an excellent article. Red China is a threat to our national security. Free trade will not make the leaders of China peaceful. They are communists who are schooled in terror and its uses for absolute power.
I didn't see any reference to the most important part of the Chinese war plans; the buying of our government.
There are few, if any, senators, congressmen and beauracrats who don't have Chinese cash in their pockets.
It was this uncomfortable fact that turned an investigation of fraud, extortion, treason and murder into a silly scandal over a fat chick.
Self Ping
Comments on PRC espionage in Silicon Valley. Firms here hire H1Bs who carry PRC passports, and, they transfer, on L1s, managers hired in the PRC to the US for various stints. I have personally hired an H1B with a PRC passport, albeit, one who had that passport due to being an HK unfortunate who had been unable to get out prior to the handover. I had to use my own judgment to ensure this individual was not likely to be a PRC asset, since neither the corporate security screening nor the (at the time) INS approval process would have been capable of doing so. It is significant to note, that all H1Bs are treated essentially the same, whether they are from Canada or the PRC. The operational security inherent in hiring practices at high tech firms essentially sucks. And there is really no ongoing surveillance of H1Bs from the PRC, to see whether or not they are spying. Final note, at my current firm, there are PRC national H1Bs with access to the main corporate books. Ponder that ...
Ping for later.
I remember a saying about "closing the barn door..."
I hope it's not too late, but afraid we may wake soon, to find the local buffet is really an infiltration cell...
Good quote!
BTTT
Say hello to Frank Gaffney for me. Our best hope would be if there was a seminal moment where "the scales fell off" Condoleeza Rice and GWB's eyes as to the true enormity of the problem, and the need for a "Reaganesque" response:
I.e., a 4-prong multi-track confrontational approach, with diplomatic, technological...and capital flow...isolation of China... spearheaded by the CIA as did William Casey against the USSR. He remains an unsung genius for his portion of the successful destruction of the Soviet Union...with the singular exception of Peter Schweitzer's excellent book, "Victory".
As you likely know, the languishing reputation of Casey is largely because of Xlinton-positioned ignoramusses in high places still refusing to acknowledge the Reagan administration with its rightful claim to the accomplishment...a case in point, Thomas Barnett. As we say, what a Marooon! [ At least Rummy finally must have realized it and terminated Barnett's contract with the Navy War College this December. ]
The Center for Security Policy used to have a healthy section devoted to Casey-type capital/securities/energy analysis. That has been largely abandoned the last few years I note. Might I make a plug for its restoration?
Then lastly, we actually need something more than lip-service from GWB about liberty. We need him to "put his money where his mouth is" and go to China and campaign for it to the school students under the noses of the enemy...and confront the evils of oppression of liberty. We need a strident effort to also not just defend Taiwan's right to freedom, reversing GWB's acceptance of the 3-No's, but a REJECTION of their right to subjugate Tibet as well. We need GWB to go to Tibet, and basically say to the People, Mr. Prime Minister, if you love peace and freedom, tear down your secret police and your occupation force! Tear down this new "great wall of China".
Pinging.
Excellent article! I, for one, certainly hope our government wakes up to this profound threat. There are far too many people in far too many positions of influence who take national security far too lightly.