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Subject: [ISN] FBI calls Chinese espionage 'substantial'
From: InfoSec News <alerts () infosecnews ! org>
Date: 2007-07-31 5:22:09
Message-ID: Pine.LNX.4.61.0707310021570.24855 () conundrum ! infosecnews ! org
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http://washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070727/NATION/107270081/1001
By Bill Gertz
July 27, 2007
FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III said yesterday that Chinese
intelligence operations against the United States are a major problem
and that the FBI is stepping up counterespionage efforts against them.
Mr. Mueller was asked during a House Judiciary Committee hearing about
growing Chinese espionage activities.
"There is substantial concern," Mr. Mueller said. "China is stealing our
secrets in an effort to leap ahead in terms of its military technology,
but also the economic capability of China. It is a substantial threat
that we are addressing in the sense of building our program to address
this threat."
He declined to elaborate but said he would be willing to disclose more
in a closed-door meeting.
The FBI and other counterintelligence agencies are hiring more agents
and analysts who specialize in Chinese affairs to deal with the threat,
U.S. officials said.
The FBI in San Francisco last month ran advertisements in three
Chinese-language newspapers, asking for help from Chinese Americans to
provide information about "illicit activities," presumably by Chinese
intelligence operatives.
Several recent Chinese spy cases highlight the problem of Beijing's
spying, including the case of Los Angeles businesswoman Katrina Leung, a
longtime informant for the FBI who was later accused of secretly working
for China's intelligence service, the Ministry of State Security.
Another Chinese spy ring was recently highlighted by the case of
Chinese-born defense contractor Chi Mak, who was convicted of passing
embargoed U.S. defense technology to China. Several of his relatives
also were linked to the compromise of U.S. Navy technology to China.
Noshir Gowadia, a Hawaii-based defense consultant, also was indicted
last year on charges of selling classified B-2 bomber and other weapons
technology to China. He also was charged with helping Chinese missile
designers build a stealth cruise missile. He pleaded not guilty.
Joel Brenner, the director of national counterintelligence, said in an
interview in March that China's theft of technology from the United
States is a serious problem and that Beijing is "eating our lunch" in
terms of compromised know-how.
Chinese spies are "very aggressive" in obtaining technology, often
before it is fully developed by U.S. researchers, Mr. Brenner said.
Michelle Van Cleave, a former national counterintelligence executive,
said in a recent defense report that Chinese spies are among "the
world's most effective" and include civilian and military spies who have
"a global reach."
Recent Chinese espionage successes include design information on all of
the most advanced U.S. nuclear weapons, U.S. missile design and guidance
technology, electromagnetic weapons and space-launch capabilities, Miss
Van Cleave stated.
China also succeeded in frustrating U.S. intelligence-gathering and
counterintelligence against China through Leung, Mr. Brenner said.
China's government denies that it engaged in intelligence-gathering
against the United States.
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