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進入《TAIPEI TIMES》US and UK fret together about Chinese spying
MI5 Director General Ken McCallum, left, and FBI Director Christopher Wray attend a joint press conference at MI5 headquarters, in central London, Wednesday July 6, 2022. Photo: AP
TAIWAN ANALYSIS: The FBI director said a takeover of Taiwan by China would represent the most horrific disruption of business that the world has ever seen
/ AP, LONDON
The head of the FBI and the leader of Britain’s domestic intelligence agency on Wednesday raised fresh alarms about the Chinese government, warning business leaders that Beijing is determined to steal their technology for competitive gain.
FBI Director Christopher Wray reaffirmed long-standing concerns in denouncing economic espionage and hacking operations by China, as well as the Chinese government’s efforts to stifle dissent abroad.
His speech was notable because it took place at MI5’s London headquarters and alongside the agency’s director-general, Ken McCallum, in an intended show of Western solidarity.
The remarks also showed the extent to which Wray and the FBI regard the Chinese government as not only a law enforcement and intelligence challenge, but are also attuned to the implications of Beijing’s foreign policy actions.
“We consistently see that it’s the Chinese government that poses the biggest long-term threat to our economic and national security, and by ‘our,’ I mean both of our nations, along with our allies in Europe and elsewhere,” Wray said.
McCallum said that the Chinese government and its “covert pressure across the globe” amounts to “the most game-changing challenge we face.”
“This might feel abstract, but it’s real and it’s pressing,” he said. “We need to talk about it. We need to act.”
A spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington, Liu Pengyu （劉鵬宇）, rejected the allegations from the Western leaders, saying in an e-mailed statement that China “firmly opposes and combats all forms of cyberattacks” and calling the accusations groundless.
“We will never encourage, support or condone cyberattacks,” the statement said.
In a nod to tensions between Taiwan and China, Wray also said that any forcible takeover of Taipei by Beijing “would represent one of the most horrific business disruptions the world has ever seen.”
“I don’t have any reason to think their [China’s] interest in Taiwan has abated in any fashion,” he said, adding that he hoped China had learned what happens “when you overplay your hand,” as he said Russia has done in Ukraine.
The FBI director said there are signs that China, perhaps drawing lessons from Russia’s experience since the Ukraine invasion, has looked for ways to insulate its economy against potential sanctions.
“In our world, we call that behavior a clue,” said Wray, who throughout his speech urged caution from Western companies looking to do business in or with China.
Western investments in China could collapse in the event of an invasion of Taiwan, he said.
“Just as in Russia, Western investments built over years could become hostages, capital stranded, [and] supply chains and relationships disrupted,” he said.
In Beijing, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Zhao Lijian （趙立堅） said that the US is “the biggest threat to world peace, stability and development.”
“The relevant US politician has been playing up the so-called China threat to smear and attack China,” Zhao told reporters at a daily briefing when asked about Wray’s comments. “Facts have fully proven that the US is the biggest threat to world peace, stability and development. We urge this US official to have the right perspective, see China’s developments in an objective and reasonable manner, and stop spreading lies and stop making irresponsible remarks.”
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
