July 6 (Reuters) – MI5 and FBI leaders warned of the growing long-term threat posed by China to the interests of the United Kingdom and the United States, in its first joint appearance on Wednesday.
MI5 CEO Ken McCallum said the service has already “more than doubled our previously restricted effort against Chinese concern activity,” adding that it was running seven times more investigations than in 2018.
FBI Director Christopher Wray said the Chinese government “poses the greatest long-term threat” to economic and national security, to the United Kingdom, the United States and its allies in Europe and elsewhere. .
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“The Chinese government is trying to shape the world by interfering with our policy (and that of our allies, I should add),” Wray said, saying Beijing had directly interfered in the congressional elections in New York this year. , as he did not. they want a candidate who was critical and former protester in Tiananmen Square to be elected.
Wray warned that the Chinese government “poses an even more serious threat to Western companies than even many savvy entrepreneurs realize” and is “set to steal your technology.”
The Chinese government’s piracy program is “bigger than all the other major countries put together,” according to Wray.
The Chinese national flag is displayed in Beijing, China on April 29, 2020. REUTERS / Thomas Peter / Stock photo
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Over the past year, the UK has shared intelligence with 37 countries to help them defend themselves from cyber espionage, McCallum said, adding that in May they had interrupted a sophisticated threat to aerospace companies. reviews.
Speaking of Taiwan, which China sees as a province, Wray said China could try to take over by force and, if that happened, “would represent one of the most horrific trade disruptions the world has ever seen. “.
“The widespread Western assumption that growing prosperity in China and increased connectivity with the West would automatically lead to greater political freedom, I fear, has been shown to be totally wrong,” McCallum said.
“The allegations against China by US and UK intelligence officials are completely unfounded and the so-called cases they listed are pure shadow chase,” a Chinese embassy spokesman said. in the UK, in response to a question about McCallum’s comments. and Wray.
The spokesman said China urged the two countries to “have a clear understanding of the trend of the time, abandon the long-obsolete Cold War mentality, stop spreading” the threat of China “and stop creating confrontations and conflicts.”
Speaking at MI5 headquarters in Thames House, London, both heads of security services gave numerous examples of China-related issues, urging an audience that included business people and academics to be prudent and encouraging them to associate. – with the FBI and MI5 so they can have the right information about this threat.
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Report by Juby Babu in Bangalore; Edited by Kim Coghill
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