Chinese Espionage

Yesterday I discussed a report compiled by the US-China Economic and Security Review Commissions. The report incriminates China for attacking US government websites in order to spy as well as seeking out US government officials and trying to bribe or manipulate them into giving away information. In the past China always went after Chinese Americans but it has abandoned this approach because most Chinese Americans have loyalty to the United States. Now the report says that cash and gifts are the avenue of choice, just like the Soviet Union used to practice.

The influence of Chinese censorship has now spread to the United States as the Chinese government is actively forbidding scholars in academia from negatively speaking about China. Carolyn Bartholomew discussed this stating, “It becomes self-censorship. If you’re in graduate school and want to become a China scholar, you need to go to China. And if you criticize the Chinese government on certain things, you won’t get in.” Therefore our Chinese analysts and scholars are becoming more like the voices of China which are forbidden from speaking poorly or truthfully about the government.

Additionally the report gave precedent to the Chinese practices of currency manipulation which benefits China in trade but hurts the US and other nations that trade with China. After the report was passed through congress, two lawmakers requested a formal investigation into the currency manipulation by China.

Recently Obama visited China which is a step in the right direction since they now hold two thirds of US debt.