China's intelligence activity

Chinese intelligence agencies, as are their counterparts in other advanced nations, are active outside of the People's Republic of China. It is, however, generally believed that they operate differently from other spying organizations by employing primarily academics or students who will be in their host country only a short time, rather than spending years cultivating a few high-level sources or double agents; much of this information come from defectors, whom the PRC accuses of lying to promote an anti-PRC agenda. The notable exception to that is the case of Katrina Leung, who is accused of starting an affair with an FBI agent to gain sensitive documents from him. Generally, however, it is believed that Chinese espionage is aimed at commercial secrets and the Falun Gong (also known as Falun Dafa) movement, which is banned in the PRC.

Two diplomats who defected in Australia have claimed that China operates more than 1,000 spies and informants in Canada alone; their mission, they said, is industrial espionage but also disruption of the Falun Gong movement. China accused them of lying so they could stay in Australia. Canadian businessman Joe Wang belives that threatening letters he received after broadcasting programs about alleged human rights abuses in China were from the Chinese consulate; one of the envelopes contained boric acid. In November 2005 the United States arrested four in Los Angeles on suspicion of being involved in a Chinese spy ring.

Taiwan has put on trial several accused spies over the years, as the two states dispute whether Taiwan is Chinese territory.

Chinese-American scientist Wen Ho Lee was wrongly accused of espionage in 1999. Many accused the U.S. government of racism and have argued that the latest allegations of espionage are motivated at least partly by racism; they point to the history of what they call the fabricated "China threat" theory.

External links

• "From China With Love", a PBS Frontline program.
• "Four arrests linked to Chinese spy ring", The Washington Times, November 5, 2005.
• "FBI Sees Big Threat from Chinese Spies; Businesses Wonder", The Wall Street Journal, August 12, 2005.
• "Chinese Spies Targeted Toronto Woman", The Epoch Times, June 16, 2005.
• "Defectors say China running 1,000 spies in Canada", CBC News, June 15, 2005.
• "China says defector lying to stay in Australia", Reuters, June 5, 2005.
• "Chinese students running ‘spy network’ in Europe", The Peninsula, May 12, 2005.
• "China "suspected of spying at Swedish universities"", The Local, May 9, 2005.
• "China aims spy network at trade secrets in Europe", The Telegraph, May 7, 2005.
• "Operation Sidewinder: In Canada spies are us", The Canada Free Press, January 26, 2005.
• "Catching Chinese Spies", Accuracy in Media, October 23, 2003.
• "Taiwanese charged as Chinese spies", BBC News, September 26, 2002.
• "U.S. 'fabricating' China threat", CNN.com, July 23, 2002.
• "Spy Hysteria", Asian Week, March 25, 1999.

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