Tiger Trap: America's Secret Spy War With China Read Online Free Page A
Author: David Wise
Tags: General, Political Science, International Relations
asserts. In addition, "over 25,000 Chinese visit the United States each year as members of official delegations."
American technology continues to be a major focus of Chinese espionage in the United States. A great many cases of espionage or technology transfer to China are centered in California, with its large defense and aerospace industries, and the computer-technology companies centered in Silicon Valley. All are tempting targets for Beijing.
California also has by far the nation's largest ethnic Chinese population, a total of 1.2 million people, by the latest Census Bureau survey released in 2010. That in turn creates a delicate problem for FBI counterintelligence agents investigating possible espionage cases in California that involve ethnic Chinese. Without question, the vast majority of the 3 million people of Chinese background in the United States are loyal Americans. * It is a fact of life, however, that China often tries to enlist ethnic Chinese in its intelligence efforts.
A joint CIA/FBI report to Congress in 1999 touched on the sensitive issue. "Because most Chinese share a common cultural and historical background, Chinese leaders refer to all individuals of Chinese ancestry as 'overseas' Chinese. When approaching an individual of Chinese origin, the Chinese intelligence services attempt to secure his or her cooperation by playing on this shared ancestry."
Bruce Carlson, a Chinese counterintelligence specialist who headed the China section of the FBI from 2006 to 2008, makes a distinction between immigrants and later generations. "It's true that China targets ethnic Chinese," he said. "When immigrants first come here they have 'one foot in each boat,' or so China thinks. They may be more approachable by the PRC. It's easier to appeal to the motherland with immigrants. But it's much harder to appeal to the motherland with the second generation, and with those who do not speak Chinese. They are no more likely to commit espionage than any other American."
Paul Moore said that Chinese intelligence has been successful in persuading some people to "help China modernize." According to Moore, "It turns out in agent cases where China developed someone to provide information, 98 percent were ethnic Chinese, 2 percent were not. Even the 2 percent felt an obligation to help China modernize. Normally these were people who had studied Chinese, traveled to China, or bought into Chinese culture.
"Chinese agent cases, where they recruit an agent, are mostly ethnic. Are we looking for the Chinese espionage gene? Everybody realizes that's ridiculous. The Chinese are running in their mainstream ops a program that collects intelligence but is not really an intelligence program. They want to develop relations with people who think they have an obligation to help China modernize. And who will make a little contribution. This is their sales pitch. And it turns out it will only resonate with people who have Chinese ancestry. It won't resonate with the McGillicuddys because the McGillicuddys don't give a shit about helping China modernize. What's really going on here is a marketing campaign, to sell China. It doesn't work very well, the answer usually is no. It's about as successful as telemarketing. This is a campaign which is not very efficient.
"Most who do cooperate with China are FOB, fresh off the boat, first-generation immigrants. Their grandchildren are no more susceptible than the O'Reillys or the Kowalskis. This is not a Chinese thing—it is a Chinese-immigrant thing. They are doing it because they feel it's the right thing to do."
US counterintelligence officials pursuing a spy suspect may overlook a broader point, Moore contended. "China was collecting information from the national labs and they were very successful in doing that. When the Chinese collect we lose, they gain, and they create a capability to do it again. We usually are so focused on the specifics of what they may be getting that we lose sight of the
American technology continues to be a major focus of Chinese espionage in the United States. A great many cases of espionage or technology transfer to China are centered in California, with its large defense and aerospace industries, and the computer-technology companies centered in Silicon Valley. All are tempting targets for Beijing.
California also has by far the nation's largest ethnic Chinese population, a total of 1.2 million people, by the latest Census Bureau survey released in 2010. That in turn creates a delicate problem for FBI counterintelligence agents investigating possible espionage cases in California that involve ethnic Chinese. Without question, the vast majority of the 3 million people of Chinese background in the United States are loyal Americans. * It is a fact of life, however, that China often tries to enlist ethnic Chinese in its intelligence efforts.
A joint CIA/FBI report to Congress in 1999 touched on the sensitive issue. "Because most Chinese share a common cultural and historical background, Chinese leaders refer to all individuals of Chinese ancestry as 'overseas' Chinese. When approaching an individual of Chinese origin, the Chinese intelligence services attempt to secure his or her cooperation by playing on this shared ancestry."
Bruce Carlson, a Chinese counterintelligence specialist who headed the China section of the FBI from 2006 to 2008, makes a distinction between immigrants and later generations. "It's true that China targets ethnic Chinese," he said. "When immigrants first come here they have 'one foot in each boat,' or so China thinks. They may be more approachable by the PRC. It's easier to appeal to the motherland with immigrants. But it's much harder to appeal to the motherland with the second generation, and with those who do not speak Chinese. They are no more likely to commit espionage than any other American."
Paul Moore said that Chinese intelligence has been successful in persuading some people to "help China modernize." According to Moore, "It turns out in agent cases where China developed someone to provide information, 98 percent were ethnic Chinese, 2 percent were not. Even the 2 percent felt an obligation to help China modernize. Normally these were people who had studied Chinese, traveled to China, or bought into Chinese culture.
"Chinese agent cases, where they recruit an agent, are mostly ethnic. Are we looking for the Chinese espionage gene? Everybody realizes that's ridiculous. The Chinese are running in their mainstream ops a program that collects intelligence but is not really an intelligence program. They want to develop relations with people who think they have an obligation to help China modernize. And who will make a little contribution. This is their sales pitch. And it turns out it will only resonate with people who have Chinese ancestry. It won't resonate with the McGillicuddys because the McGillicuddys don't give a shit about helping China modernize. What's really going on here is a marketing campaign, to sell China. It doesn't work very well, the answer usually is no. It's about as successful as telemarketing. This is a campaign which is not very efficient.
"Most who do cooperate with China are FOB, fresh off the boat, first-generation immigrants. Their grandchildren are no more susceptible than the O'Reillys or the Kowalskis. This is not a Chinese thing—it is a Chinese-immigrant thing. They are doing it because they feel it's the right thing to do."
US counterintelligence officials pursuing a spy suspect may overlook a broader point, Moore contended. "China was collecting information from the national labs and they were very successful in doing that. When the Chinese collect we lose, they gain, and they create a capability to do it again. We usually are so focused on the specifics of what they may be getting that we lose sight of the
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