Chinese Threats on US Intelligence, Essay Example

National Security is an on-going job that protects operations of US Intelligence. Every country is racing to gain the most intelligence resources to strengthen their global power. As these countries are racing for intelligence, they are also trying to impair or even infiltrate their rival countries’ intelligence. Intelligence is prorated to various components essential for an economy. Natural resources, weapons of mass destruction, cyber-security, bioterrorism, finance, and energy are some of the primary intelligence aspects. As the US continues their efforts in intelligence, they must be leery of threats posed by other countries.

At the start of 2014, the Director for National Intelligence—James R. Clapper—presented to the Senate Committee for Intelligence an assessment report regarding global and regional threats the US faces. This report assessed possible threats to US intelligence attributing from various major countries. However, the following analysis on such threats is focused on only those pertaining to China. While Clapper’s report addresses relevant intelligence threats that China may pose to the US, there are skeptical perspectives that challenge his assessment. The following is a brief analysis on Clapper’s claims of US intelligence threats regarding China as well as a skeptical response arguing that China may not be such a threat as he believes. (Clapper, 2014)

According to Clapper’s report, China may pose a cyber-security threat against US Intelligence. Economic advancement, political durability, and military readiness are the principal objectives of Chinese leaders in their pursuit of cyber intelligence. Internet censorship is much stricter in China than in the US as many foreign websites are blocked from the general public including Facebook, Google, and You Tube. The Chinese government wants to maintain control over social order and feels the country needs to constrict online communications to do so. Media in China is state controlled to maintain order in the economy and prevent any possible revolt. China is the US’s main culprit of intellectual property theft. Chinese cyber-crimes against the US are costing the government nearly 300 billion USD each year. China has been strategizing against the US in cyber warfare since the early 1990’s. The People’s Liberation Army pursues information technology in the hopes that it will give them a militant advantage. Clapper is not the first one to accuse China of cyber espionage and intellectual property theft as cases have been circulating in the media for years. (Clapper, 2014)

China is a counter intelligence threat to the US because simply because they have shown a history of possessing the capabilities to breach US cyber security walls. For example, Chinese hack groups have conducted an array of cyber security breaches against US Intelligence since the early 2000s. Even Google disclosed in 2010 that Chinese hackers infiltrated classified data from their data base. (Nakashima, 2011) According to Clapper’s report, China looks to acquire sensitive information regarding US National security. Such classified information contains the contents of US decision appliances as well as research and defense tactics. Clapper’s assessment states that China, along with Russia, is the prominent state intelligence threat to US Intelligence security considering their intentions. Data on weaponry, military strategies, information systems, energy plans, and finances are all motives for China to perpetrate US intelligence. It is expected that China, in their desire for sovereignty, will continue to pursue this information from US Intelligence. They have already shown that they have the resources and capabilities to penetrate through US Intelligence cyber-security walls and this threat needs to be alleviated by reinforcing information security. This information of the US Intelligence is powerful and could very well pose as a serious threat if it gets in the hands of Chinese intelligence. (Clapper, 2014)

Clapper addresses next the threat China imposes on US Intelligence regarding counter space. Foreign adversaries aspire to render US counter space networks into disarray, and China is the prime one. The use of space satellites by US Intelligence acts as the most instrumental ingenuity in acquiring and relaying information across the globe. Military leaders of foreign adversaries such as China realize that these space satellites are the core of US communications. With their line of communications rendered inoperable, US Intelligence and military forces would disharmonize into chaos. China has already demonstrated their intentions of targeting US Intelligence satellites. In May 2013 for example, China conducted counter space testing by deploying an anti-satellite system into mid-Earth orbit. Clapper also noted a 2007 Chinese based counter space activity that tested destructive capabilities on their own satellite. The destruction of a satellite could lead to major ripple effects on surrounding satellites as the debris could collide into them; leaving them damaged as well. Because US Intelligence relies so much on satellites as their network of transmitting information, they are also susceptible to counter space attacks from foreign adversaries including China who has the very capabilities of satellite impairment. (Tadjdeh, 2014) (Clapper, 2014)

Beyond cyber security, counter intelligence, and counter space, China may be an economic threat as well regarding global financial power. In an outside source concerning economic trends, it is well noted that China is one of the BRICS countries; Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. There is stirring debate on whether or not the BRICS countries’ success in economic development has anything to do with their disregard to the Washington Consensus. The BRICS countries have imposed a new Development Bank in which Brazil is using a financial strategy where they are making investments throughout Latin America. China, along with Russia, is funding this operation as it may surpass the Washington D.C. based World Bank in providing financial resources for developing countries. The BRICS countries’ Contingents Arrangement Agreement enacts a reserve pool of currencies amounting to 100 billion USD, where China is responsible for contributing 41 billion USD. The ploy of this Development Bank renders the BRICS countries non-compliant with the Washington Consensus. If proven successful, China’s role in the Development Bank may over shadow World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in global financial power. (Blyth, 2013) (Kozloff, 2014)

Certain biological factors associated with China may pose health risks on the US. Health risks cover a wide range of scenarios where pathogens can infiltrate homeland security and possibly cause an epidemic in the US if not contained. Making their way into the country via food and water supply is one method of transmission of such pathogens. As pathogens develop immunities to anti-biotic remedies, it becomes harder to control outbreaks. A feared threat of US Intelligence pertaining to health risks is that of bio-terrorism. Advancements in capabilities of bio or chemical weaponry when acquired by adversaries with the intentions of engaging in the use of such weaponized agents as Clapper suggests, can have adverse threats to national security. Such health risks however may be intentional or non-intentional. (Clapper, 2014)

As the world becomes more populated and international travel becomes more common, carries of any biological agents can transmit them from foreign countries into the US. Live stock has the same risks factors. Developments in anti-biotic drugs are a constant routine in security against any biological agents but resistance that such agents are acquiring seems to be a growing threat against health security. As pathogens evolve and mutate, they also pose the risk of incepting unknown strains that health security may not be prepared for. It is impossible to predict when such pathogens may arise and how they will be transmitted and this makes US and global health security vulnerable. In 2013, the unfamiliar H7N9 influenza virus emerged in China, believed to have originated from birds. It has been determined that the H7N9 virus is not yet easily contagious among humans but it must continue to be watched. As evolution occurs, the H7N9 virus may acquire the needed capabilities to engage transmission among human hosts. This virus has shown that it can be severe in causing high fatalities. According to Clapper’s report, the H7N9 virus caused fatalities in more than 20 percent of its’ victims while the rest of the infected persons were left hospitalized with inimical and lasting effects. The H7N9 influenza virus, along with other not yet discovered pathogens, may outbreak into a pandemic if lack in preparations cause for not being able to address the situation immediately by either vaccination or containment.  (Clapper, 2014)

On top of all the threats that China poses to US Intelligence, they also pose as a regional threat. Clapper assess that Chinese leaders will continue to focus mainly on their own domestic order. Xi Jinping, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, has an agenda towards advancements in domestic policy including stimulation of economic reform, government competence, and securing discipline in the Communist Party. (Clapper, 2014)

Although China has featured ambitions for empowered relations with Washington D.C., they have contrastingly geared towards counterbalance with US influence. Clapper notes that Beijing remains skeptical of the endurance of the US “rebalance” and their eagerness in backing their allies in the East Asia region. (Clapper, 2014) It could be that Beijing is using some kind of strategic method of warfare to gain a tactical or psychological advantage. China is making strong investments in their PLA for purposes of modifications in their armed forces including nuclear capability, battle field strategies, and advancements in weaponry.

It is rather difficult to argue that China is not a threat to the US, but there are skeptical views among citizens. Clapper does not address any intentional threats of bio-terrorism China may pose. The H7N9 virus is a naturally occurring pathogen and is not considered a bio-weapon which. However, there is no doubt that China has an adequate and even threatening military for in the PLA. The PLA has all of the necessary weapons, tactics, and numbers to engage in military battle with the US on all levels of grounds, air, and sea. Although the PLA is aware of the brute power they possess and what it is capable of, there is a logical reason as to why they have yet to attack us. China fears retaliation from the US military. Despite how strong their military forces are and how developed their weaponry arsenal is, China is aware that the US will engage in full retaliation. China knows that the US military is powerful, but what they don’t know is how powerful. China does not know where military forces or weapons of mass destruction might be located on the globe. Because they don’t know just exactly what the US military is capable of from a military stand point, they engage in cyber espionage against US Intelligence.

Even at this level, there are skeptical views questioning is China is even really a threat in the realm of cyber-warfare. As far as network security issues, China has demonstrated that they are strictly opposed to hacking or cyber-attacks of any kind. As a matter of fact, many skeptics believe the real threat is within US Intelligence. It is no surprise that the US Intelligence is engaging in the very cyber-espionage that they claim China is guilty of. Qin Gang of the Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that the US Intelligence had fabricated information about China being guilty of Cyber theft, and that they are the real victims. Such a tactic drastically violates the standards of international relations and unfortunately disrupts the mutual trust established in Sino US. Such allegations from US Intelligence have caused the Chinese Foreign Ministry to suspend any participation Beijing is having with the Sino US Cyber Working Group in order to address these supposed attacks on the US. Representatives in the Shanghai secret military unit have gone on to call such accusations being imposed by US Intelligence “absurd”. (Wan, 2014)

As far as any economic threat China may impose to the US, most of what economists fear is illusory. Although it is conceived that China is the greatest contributor of global gross domestic product (GDP), their economy actually depends on other nations for increased GDP. This is due to the structure of the Chinese economy. China depends on trade surplus with other nations throughout the world to support their economy. Exportations are significantly higher than importations as China detracts their GDP from other countries. So, China’s reason for leading the world in GDP is due to their economy taking GDP from other nations as opposed to creating their own GDP. In reality, the US is ahead of China as far as creating its own GDP. (Weinberger, 2010)

Again this information is rendered from a skeptical view but it does present relevant information that US Intelligence is not the helpless victim. What is going on right now is more of a cold war where China is trying to build their forces and intelligence strong enough to the ability of being able to beat out US forces and intelligence. China wants no immediate conflict with the US but they do desire information on systems and technology. They know that US Intelligence secures such information and Chinese Intelligence needs this information in order to evaluate a striking scenario with the US as well as what the repercussions  may be and if they are even worth it. To be fair in terms of the skeptical perspective, China may not be a threat, but US Intelligence considers the possibility of a threat, as a threat.

References

Blyth, C. B. (2013). The BRICs and the Washington Consensus. Boston: Boston University.

Clapper, J. R. (2014). Worldwide Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community. Senate Select Committee on Inteligence .

Kozloff, N. (2014, September 1). Vladimir Putin, BRICS Bank and Eclipse of South American Idealiam. Retrieved from The Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nikolas-kozloff/vladimir-putin-brics-bank_b_5749652.html

Nakashima, E. (2011, November 3). In a world of cybertheft, U.S. names China, Russia as main culprits. Retrieved from Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-cyber-espionage-report-names-china-and-russia-as-main-culprits/2011/11/02/gIQAF5fRiM_story.html

Tadjdeh, Y. (2014, July). New Chinese Threats to U.S. Space Systems Worry Officials . Retrieved from National Defense Magazine: http://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/archive/2014/July/Pages/NewChineseThreatstoUSSpaceSystemsWorryOfficials.aspx

Wan, W. (2014, May 19). China denies U.S. cyberspying charges, claims it is the real ‘victim’. Retrieved from Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/china-denies-us-cyberspying-charges-claims-it-is-the-real-victim/2014/05/19/4b9a195c-df71-11e3-810f-764fe508b82d_story.html

Weinberger, D. (2010, February 3). Why China is Not an Economic Threat to the United States. Retrieved from The Daily Signal: http://dailysignal.com/2010/02/03/why-china-is-not-an-economic-threat-to-the-u-s/