China creates spy army of 600,000 people - WSJ
Illustrative photo: China has created an army of spies (Getty Images)
China has formed an army of spies consisting of 600,000 people. Western countries do not have the resources to counter such a network, according to The Wall Street Journal.
As noted by the agency, China’s intelligence operations have already surpassed the scale of the activities of the KGB (Committee for State Security) during the Cold War. These operations vary in nature, including cyberattacks as well as scientific and industrial espionage.
Journalists clarify that for the West, combating Chinese spies is complicated by the decentralized nature of their operations, involving numerous government agencies and private companies. Moreover, Chinese spies often operate autonomously.
According to the FBI, China has significantly more hackers than the total number of cyber personnel in the American agency.
FBI Director Christopher Wray mentioned earlier this year that China's hacking program surpasses those of all other major powers combined.
A source for the WSJ revealed that up to 600,000 individuals may be involved in China’s intelligence-gathering and security operations.
Espionage against the US
At the beginning of 2023, a Chinese balloon was spotted in US airspace. It flew over the country for a day before being shot down by American forces.
It later emerged that the balloon was being used for espionage purposes. Beijing could have employed similar practices in other countries as well.
