London, United Kingdom (UK)- The country’s domestic counter-intelligence and security agency (MI5) and the United States (US)’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have cited that China poses the biggest long-term threat to their economies and national security.
In a speech at MI5’s London headquarters intended as a show of western solidarity, Christopher Wray, the FBI director, stood alongside the MI5 director-general, Ken McCallum reaffirming longstanding concerns about economic espionage and hacking operations by China as well as the Chinese government’s efforts to stifle dissent abroad.
“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.
The Chinese government is set on stealing your technology, whatever it is that makes your industry tick, and using it to undercut your business and dominate your market,” said Wray.
At the same time, McCallum said, the most game-changing challenge they faced was from the Chinese Communist Party.
“Today is the first time the heads of the FBI and MI5 have shared a public platform. We are doing so to send the clearest signal we can on a massive shared challenge, China.
Converted 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. We need to talk about it. We need to act,” said McCallum.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Zhao Lijian, said that strengthening China-U.S. coordination is of great significance.
His remarks follow Vice-Premier Liu’s video link meeting with US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Tuesday morning.
According to China’s Ministry of Commerce, the two sides had a pragmatic and candid exchange of views on topics such as the macroeconomic situation and the stability of global industrial and supply chains.
