UK spy chief say on Oct 11 that China is using its financial and scientific prowess to manipulate technology in ways that endanger global security, warning that Beijing’s actions could pose “a huge threat to us all”.
UK Spy Chief Said China Seek To Secure Their Advantage Through Scale and Control
Jeremy Fleming, director of GCHQ’s spy agency, said in a speech that China’s leadership is seeking to use technologies such as digital currency and the Beidou satellite navigation network to increase control over its citizens at home, while extending its influence abroad.
“They seek to secure their advantage through scale and control,” Fleming said at the Royal United Services Institute think tank’s annual security lecture, according to a summary released by his office.
“It means they see an opportunity to control the Chinese people, rather than finding ways to support and unlock the potential of citizens. They see the state as a potential adversary or a potential client state to be threatened, bribed or coerced.”
In his speech this afternoon, Director GCHQ Sir Jeremy Fleming posed three questions that like-minded allies should focus on to help ensure China realises it must play inside the global system.
— GCHQ (@GCHQ) October 11, 2022
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The remarks are the latest public warning from Fleming about Beijing’s behaviour and aspirations. Last year, he said the West faced a battle to ensure China would not dominate important emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, synthetic biology and genetics.
Fleming said the Chinese leadership is motivated by fear of its own citizens, free speech, free trade and open technology standards and alliances, “the entire open, democratic order and rules-based international system.”
That fear, combined with China’s strength, is driving it “to take actions that could pose a huge threat to us all,” he said.
China has previously described similar allegations by Western governments as baseless and politically motivated smears.
Sir Jeremy Fleming explains how Chinese leadership uses technology to gain advantage through control, of their markets, those in their sphere of influence and even their own citizens.
— GCHQ (@GCHQ) October 11, 2022
Head to @rusi_org to watch live and join in the conversation using #RUSIxGCHQ pic.twitter.com/Qbiyps4Ohn
Fleming will also highlight technologies he says China is seeking to gain influence, such as developing a centralized digital currency that would allow it to monitor users’ transactions, and potentially evading the sort of sanctions during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
He will also point to Beidou, which many believe that China is building a strong anti-satellite capability on the principle of denying other countries access to space in the event of a conflict. He added that “And there are fears the technology could be used to track individuals.”
