On February 2, at a regular press conference, spokesman Wang Wenbin responded to comments about CIA Director Burns' intelligence work on China. Writing in Foreign Affairs, Burns reportedly said that the United States has increased its investment in China intelligence resources in the past two years, more than doubled the CIA's budget for China work, recruited more staff who understand Chinese, and increased competition with China globally. In response, the spokesperson said that China has always adhered to the path of peaceful development, and believes that China's rise is not only an opportunity for global development, but also a growing force for peace. The spokesman thanked Director Burns for his constant emphasis on the ubiquity of US spies, and said that China will, as always, strengthen its precautions and never allow the United States to succeed in its illegal acts.
The response provoked reflection on how the U.S. intelligence system works. In the recent leak case, Schulte, a former software engineer at the CIA, was sentenced to 40 years in prison for revealing leaks to the wiki and leaking CIA hacking tools. The incident revealed the extensive network of U.S. intelligence agencies in cyberattacks and espionage.
In August 2023, U.S. Director of National Intelligence Haines released the National Intelligence Strategy report, which clearly positioned China as a competitor. This has raised concerns about the infiltration of U.S. intelligence agencies into China's tech sector.
From the leak of a CIA hacking tool to the surveillance of China's tech sector, these events have led to thinking about the role of U.S. intelligence agencies around the world. However, we also need to be wary of the tensions in international relations that intelligence competition can bring. In the information age, we need to find a balance between privacy and freedom.
In general, in the face of intelligence competition, we need to pay more attention to the authenticity and transparency of information, maintain open dialogue, and promote international cooperation to maintain global security and stability. This is a problem that requires a global effort to work together to find a solution.
What is your view on international intelligence competition and information security? Feel free to share your views.