• Five Eyes intelligence officers keen on China’s ‘theft’ of intellectual property.
• China was found to be stealing secrets across various sectors.
• Burgess cited a recent case in which his department uncovered a Chinese plot.

The intelligence chiefs of the Five Eyes countries came together on Tuesday in a rare joint statement, accusing China of engaging in intellectual property theft and deploying artificial intelligence for hacking and espionage against their nations.

These officials, representing the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, collectively known as the Five Eyes intelligence sharing network, made their statements after meetings with private companies in Silicon Valley, the U.S. innovation hub.

U.S. FBI Director Christopher Wray emphasized that the “unprecedented” joint statement aimed to address the “unprecedented threat” that China poses to global innovation.

China was found to be stealing secrets across various sectors, including quantum technology, robotics, biotechnology, and artificial intelligence.

Wray stated that China employed a range of techniques, including cyber intrusions, human intelligence operations, and seemingly innocuous corporate investments, to target businesses. These tactics had grown more brazen and dangerous over time.

A Chinese government spokesman expressed the country’s commitment to intellectual property protection and objected to the “groundless allegations and smears” against China in response. They hoped that relevant parties would view China’s development objectively and fairly.

The issue of intellectual property theft has long been a point of contention in U.S.-China relations, but this marks the first time that the Five Eyes members have publicly united to confront China on this matter.

According to Mike Burgess, the director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, the Chinese government’s actions constitute “the most sustained scaled and sophisticated theft of intellectual property and expertise in human history.”

Burgess argued that China’s behavior went far beyond traditional espionage while acknowledging China’s intention to innovate for its national interest as appropriate.

Burgess cited a recent case in which his department uncovered a Chinese plot to infiltrate an esteemed Australian research institution by placing an academic there to steal secrets.

He noted that similar activities were occurring daily in Australia and the countries represented by the Five Eyes.

This joint statement by the Five Eyes intelligence chiefs follows their warning in May about a widespread Chinese spy operation targeting critical infrastructure and various sectors. The Chinese government dismissed these allegations as a “collective disinformation campaign.”

Wray pointed out that China possesses “a bigger hacking program than that of every other major nation combined.”

He highlighted China’s combination of physical spies, theft of trade secrets, and a vast hacking program, emphasizing the unprecedented scale and challenge that this presents.

The officials called on private industry and academia to assist in countering these threats, particularly focusing on the role of artificial intelligence tools.

Wray expressed concerns about the use of AI as an amplifier for various forms of misconduct and accused China of stealing more personal and corporate data than any other nation by orders of magnitude. He warned of the potential for AI to enhance China’s already substantial hacking capabilities.

To stay informed about current events, please like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/BOLUrduNews/.

Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/bolnewsurdu01 and stay updated with the latest news.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel https://bit.ly/3Tv8a3P to watch news from Pakistan and around the world.

[embedpost slug=”xi-jinping-warns-against-decoupling-hails-belt-road-in-forum/”]