China represents most significant espionage threat to UK: Official
London, June 25(ANI): The Chinese government represents one of the most significant espionage threats to the United Kingdom, a British official has said.
“They (the Chinese government) continue to devote considerable time and energy trying to steal our sensitive technology on civilian and military projects and trying to obtain political and economic intelligence at our expense,” The Telegraph quoted Jonathan Evans, the Director General of British intelligence agency MI5, as saying.
Evans’ comment comes ahead of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao’s visit to the UK for the UK-China Strategic Summit.
The summit is an annual meeting between the two nations and is aimed at building bilateral relations.
Jiabao will also meet British Prime Minister David Cameron on Sunday.
Earlier, a 14-page “restricted” report from MI5’s Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) last year had described how China attacked British defence, energy, communications and manufacturing companies in a concerted hacking campaign.
The report had claimed that Chinese agents were trying to cultivate “long-term relationships” with the employees of key British companies.
“Chinese intelligence services have also been known to exploit vulnerabilities such as sexual relationships and illegal activities to pressurize individuals to co-operate with them,” the report had said.
It also warned that hotel rooms in major Chinese cities, such as Beijing and Shanghai, frequented by foreigners, were likely to be bugged and have been searched while the occupants are out of the room. (ANI)