US intelligence accuses China of sophisticated efforts to recruit government officials
Illustrative photo: US intelligence has accused China of sophisticated attempts to recruit government officials (Getty Images)
The United States National Counterintelligence and Security Center has said that China is making “sophisticated” attempts to recruit American government officials, according to Reuters.
“Foreign intelligence entities, particularly those in China, are targeting current and former U.S. government (USG) employees for recruitment by posing as consulting firms, corporate headhunters, think tanks, and other entities on social and professional networking sites,” the National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC) said.
The intelligence agency notes that the approaches have become “more sophisticated” and target individuals with experience in the US government and who are currently looking for work.
The NCSC noted that government employees who have or have had access to classified data must protect it even after they leave.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in turn, said it was unaware of the situation and accused the United States of espionage. According to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian, Washington's “actions” are an “irresponsible practices.”
Relations between the United States and China
The relationship between China and the United States is one of the most important in the world, but also the most tense. The two countries have deep economic ties - China is one of the main trading partners of the United States, and American companies have a significant presence in the Chinese market. However, interstate relations are often complicated by trade wars, intellectual property issues, unequal access to markets, and strategic rivalry.
Relations between the two countries have been further strained recently by the trade war initiated by Washington. Beijing has vowed to “fight till the end” in the tariff war with White House President Donald Trump, calling the US tariffs blackmail.
