Posted on 11/11/2005 11:40:24 AM PST by canuck_conservative
The president enjoyed all the pomp and protocol that traditionally come with a state visit, reflecting the importance of the man, and the emerging superpower that he represents. But as China's Hu Jintao tucked into his filet de sole pompadour during the banquet at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, and again as he flew back to Beijing yesterday after his three-day visit, Britain's security services were left pondering a more delicate issue: how many of the president's entourage had been left behind?
While on the diplomatic and commercial level relations between the two countries appear to be flourishing, with British ministers and businesses eager to cash in on China's booming economy, the security services are concerned about what is happening under the surface. MI5 has become increasingly anxious about an increase in spying by the Chinese. Officials are unsure how widespread it is, and what impact it is having. The agency believes that "at least 20 foreign intelligence services are operating to some degree against UK interests", and say the Chinese and Russians concern them most.
The Chinese, security sources said yesterday, have become supreme opportunists, hoovering up information on the "grains of sand" principle: picking up the smallest pieces of information whether relating to business, industry or security and closely analysing them back home. Justin King, managing director of C2i, a UK counter-espionage consultancy, said yesterday that businesses were all too aware of what is happening, particularly when they hire Chinese staff. "The Chinese are desperate to find out everything about how western companies operate and how they are structured. It is old-fashioned human intelligence gathering - it's thousands of years old and it works. Employers should plan for the fact that there is a strong likelihood information, even if it is low-level stuff,
(Excerpt) Read more at business.guardian.co.uk ...
They will stop at nothing to get their bloody hands on our secrets.
They will stop at nothing to get their bloody hands on our secrets.
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It is still my opinion that Western companies are going to pay dearly for having anything to do with setting up businesses in Commie China.
Ping.
Thanks for the ping!
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