Sunday, January 21, 2007

The most impressive espionage threat

China has emerged on the world scene as a major player in many industries. Not only are they an economic and technological power, but also a military and intelligence power as well.

Wipedia has an good illustration of recent Chinese espionage directed against the United States

The Timeline of Chinese espionage against the U.S. is a chronology of information relating to the People's Republic of China's alleged nuclear espionage against the United States detailed in the Congressional Cox Report. The timeline also includes documented information relating to relevant investigations and reactions by the White House, the U.S. Congress, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and United States Department of Justice.
Released publicly in May 1999, the Cox Report stated the People's Republic of China (PRC) had acquired information on seven of the United States' most advanced nuclear warheads. According to the report, the information was stolen via an espionage campaign that stretched from the late 1970s through the mid-1990s. In addition to nuclear espionage, the Cox Report also detailed PRC's legal and illegal 1990s acquisition of detailed information about the United States' advanced satellite, encryption, MIRV, ICBM, anti-submarine radar, neutron bomb, and high performance computer technology. The Cox Committee was formed in 1998 after allegations arose regarding bribery charges and illegal transfers of missile technology involving an American satellite company.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh Pleeeeze, 1999? Cox report? Here's what Carnegie Endowment for Int'l Peace said:

http://www.carnegieendowment.org/publications/index.cfm?fa=view&id=131

"the Cox Committee report, like the Rumsfeld Commission before it, has taken a real problem and hyper-inflated it for political purposes."

"A number of Republican leaders went to the floor of the House and Senate and accused the President of treason for allegedly facilitating this transfer of information. These charges could not be substantiated. The Cox Committee then hurriedly took testimony from only three witnesses on the nuclear weapons security issue: DOE intelligence official Notra Trulock, a CIA analyst, and a Los Alamos employee. The Cox report basically presents the Notra Trulock view of China, unchallenged and unbalanced."

Anonymous said...

Here's a summary of reviews from fas.org:

http://www.fas.org/sgp/news/1999/07/chinacox/critic.html

"The Cox Report, running to nearly 900 pages, lists many data, which are either intentionally fabricated or painstakingly distorted. Although it can whip up public opinion and hoodwink some people for a while, it cannot do so for long. For a period of time, some politicians in the United States have clung on to the out-dated Cold War mentality, and made an issue out of Sino-US relations by stirring up an anti-China mood to reap political profit. Years of practice have proved that the healthy development of Sino-US relations coincide with the fundamental interests of the peoples of the two countries. Some US politicians try hard to undermine Sino-US relations by fabricating lies, which is really dishonorable. But, it is impossible for them to succeed."

Anonymous said...

Pleez! This story picks up at the Cox report. I agree there are problems with PARTS of the report, but I think bloggers know this is really about the overall Chinese threat. I'll give you that "parts" of the Cox Report are off, but is all of it wrong. And, what about every other news article posted here? Is China not a threat, and a serious one? Cherry picking at one element does not make the whole bad. But it does illustrate a narrow mindset.