Directors of FBI and Britain’s MI5 raise fresh alarms about Chinese spying in rare joint speech
- FBI chief Christopher Wray and MI5 head Ken McCallum warn business leaders that Beijing is determined to steal their technology for competitive gain
- ‘The Chinese government poses an even more serious threat to Western businesses than even many sophisticated business people realise,’ Wray says
Top American and British intelligence officials warned Western businesses that deal with China on Wednesday to become far more vigilant about Beijing’s relentless industrial espionage.
“When you deal with a Chinese company, know you’re also dealing with the Chinese government – that is, the MSS and the PLA – too, almost like silent partners”, FBI Director Christopher Wray told business leaders in London, referring to China’s spy agency and military.
“The Chinese government poses an even more serious threat to Western businesses than even many sophisticated business people realise,” Wray added. “I want to encourage you to take the long view as you gauge the threat.”
Wray’s comments – reported by Financial Times – came during a rare joint appearance with the head of London’s domestic intelligence service, MI5 Director General Ken McCallum, at Thames House, the MI5 headquarters.
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Addressing the business executives, McCallum said that “most of what is at risk from Chinese Communist Party aggression is not, so to speak, my stuff. It’s yours”.
