The heads of MI5 and the FBI have used an unprecedented joint speech to warn that China is their biggest “game-changing challenge”, with Britain redoubled efforts to fight back. threats from China.
Christopher Wray, Director of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, said Beijing is learning lessons from Russiathe war in Ukraine.
Talk about Chinese people threat to TaiwanHe said the Chinese government is looking to protect its economy against any potential future sanctions.
“We call that kind of behavior a clue,” said Mr Wray, sharing the background with MI5 Director General Ken McCallum during a visit to UK Security Services headquarters in London.
Western allies have used sweeping sanctions to punish Russian President Vladimir Putin for the invasion of Ukraine.
Despite Russia posing a significant threat, the two security leaders chose to focus on the Chinese Communist Party and its covert operations against countries, their allies, and the world at large. bigger.
They accuse Beijing of a broad, sustained effort to steal Western advances in technology, research and other fields, and use the Western system of democracy, media and rule of law. West for their own benefit.
“The biggest game-changing challenge we face comes from the Chinese Communist Party,” McCallum said, speaking to an audience of executives from public companies. Technology and other officials were invited to a joint talk at Thames House on Wednesday.
“It’s lurking under pressure globally. This may feel abstract. But it’s real and it’s pressing. We need to talk about it. We need to act.”
The Communist Party of China meets in Beijing in November 2021. Photo: AP
Mr McCallum said MI5 has more than doubled down on what he describes as his service’s “previously restricted effort” against “concerning Chinese activity” since 2018 and is working on it. seven times as many surveys.
“We plan to grow again and again, while maintaining a substantial effort against Russia and Iran covert threats,” he said.
He then added that the doubling would happen in “the next couple of years”.
