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Espionage

Espionage
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Espionage. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
The US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard speaks on the phone during the FBI raid in Georgia on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters
United States

Why was America’s top spy present at FBI raid on election facility?

DNI’s Tulsi Gabbard raises eyebrows as her team defends her presence as vital for ‘identifying vulnerabilities in our critical infrastructure’.

Diplomacy

Opinion | Why UK Prime Minister Starmer’s visit to China could be historic

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China-EU relations

EU moves to force Huawei out of networks, opening door to wider China tech bans

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China’s Communist Party

China warns of ‘honey trap’ risks after defence official jailed for espionage

A mainland military project manager was lured into a sexual relationship by a spy posing as a business representative while on a trip abroad.

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China’s Ministry of State Security has repeatedly told mainland officials, students and tourists to be wary of recruitment traps abroad set by foreign intelligence agencies. Photo: Reuters
US-Venezuela conflict

China-linked hackers ‘used Venezuela-themed phishing to target US agencies’

Swiss firm says Mustang Panda leveraged US-Venezuela tensions as geopolitical lures in a malware campaign against government-related targets.

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US-China relations

Biden administration decision to scrap China Initiative flawed: White House

US top science adviser Michael Kratsios says ceasing programme aimed at combating economic espionage from Beijing ‘damaging’.

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France

France charges maths professor accused in China spying case

The academic allegedly let a Chinese delegation visit sensitive sites and could be jailed for years if convicted.

French and Chinese flags are flown in Beijing ahead of a welcome ceremony for French President Emmanuel Macron in January 2018. Photo: EPA-EFE
Crime in China

China warns of covert mapping by foreign forces to steal sensitive geodata

Counter-espionage agency says ‘anti-China’ actors are gathering information on natural resources, energy facilities and terrain in key areas.

Defence

Former US Navy sailor gets 16 years for selling ship secrets to Chinese contact

Jinchao Wei, 25, provided information about the USS Essex and other ships in exchange for about US$12,000.

US-Venezuela conflict

Could China execute special forces operation like US precision Maduro abduction?

The Pentagon sees China’s 20,000-30,000 special operation personnel as limited by logistics support and fragmented command structure.

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On January 5, Nicolas Maduro is escorted towards the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse in Manhattan after being abducted from Caracas by US forces. Analysts ask whether China has the capacity to carry out a similar opertion. Photo: Reuters
The Philippines

Why the Philippines is taking control of undersea cable security

The moves will help strengthen regional stability and prevent Indo-Pacific connectivity from being quietly weaponised, analysts say.

Philippine Navy personnel during a joint military exercise with Australia last year. The navy says it is exploring ways to monitor undersea cables. Photo: Facebook/Armed Forces of the Philippines
Semiconductors

China’s CXMT in crosshairs of South Korean prosecutors over Samsung tech leak

Prosecutors in Seoul indict 10 people, including ex-Samsung executives, for allegedly leaking the firm’s technology to memory chipmaker CXMT.

US-China relations

Mistrial in case of ex-top aide to New York governor charged as China agent

Linda Sun, ex-deputy chief of staff to Kathy Hochul, walked free after jury was deadlocked on all 19 counts and could not reach a verdict.

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Israel-Iran conflict

Man executed in Iran for spying for Israel tortured to confess: rights group

The 27-year-old, arrested while taking pictures of a military headquarters, was accused of executing over 200 similar assignments for Mossad.

Israeli air defence systems intercept Iranian missiles over the Israeli city of Tel Aviv early on June 18. Photo: AFP
Britain

UK spy and military chiefs give threat assessment in ‘age of uncertainty’

Head of MI6 says ‘we are now operating in a space between peace and war’, as defence chief urges ‘whole nation’ prepare for evolving threats.

The new head of Britain’s MI6, Blaise Metreweli makes her first public speech in London on Monday. Photo: AFP
Britain

UK sanctions Russian and Chinese firms, warns of cyber threats, hybrid warfare

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper says dangers range from disinformation campaigns to physical attacks and sabotage.

China’s Communist Party

China’s security chief hints at US decline, says tech theft is a major concern

State Security Minister Chen Yixin says ‘unipolar hegemony’ is on the wane in article for party newspaper that does not directly mention US.

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Britain

UK Novichok report blames Putin for ‘reckless’ poisoning of ex-Russian spy

Inquiry concluded that the assassination attempt of Sergei Skripal must have been ‘authorised at the highest level’.

A mock offer of “Novichok Tea” sits in front of an effigy of Russian President Vladimir Putin outside the Russian embassy in Berlin in 2020. Photo: AFP
Britain

Collapsed UK China spy case due to ‘shambolic’ failures, not conspiracy: inquiry

The spy case against two British men collapsed as the UK failed to deem Beijing a threat, prompting cover-up speculation just before their trial.

North Korea

North Korean air force to gain ‘strategic assets’ amid heightened tensions

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un says the air force will be entrusted with ‘a new important duty’ and play a role in nuclear war deterrence.

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China-UK relations

Starmer met Premier Li Qiang at G20 in South Africa amid Beijing visit rumours

Speculation on a Beijing trip comes as Britain’s PM said he would protect UK national interests after questions about engagement with China.

Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Johannesburg, South Africa on Saturday. Photo: AFP
China-UK relations

UK PM Keir Starmer to visit China in January, Sky News reports

The trip would come soon after Britain decides on the approval of a new Chinese embassy in London that critics say will pose a security risk.

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Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to visit China in January. Photo: Pool via Reuters
Britain

UK says ‘military options’ ready as Russian ship points lasers at British pilots

The Russian embassy said that Moscow has no interest in undermining the UK’s security as it sails spy ship on the edge of British waters.

Britain

MI5 warns UK lawmakers of Chinese spies on LinkedIn

The ‘espionage alert’ warned that Chinese nationals were ‘actively’ reaching out to lawmakers via recruitment headhunters.

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US-China relations

Opinion | US national security focus throws a spanner in the workings of global trade

While attention to legitimate national security interests is justified, trade matters have traditionally been viewed as a parallel sphere.

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US President Donald Trump gestures during the American Business Forum Miami at the Kaseya Centre Arena in Miami, Florida, US, on November 5. Photo: Reuters
Diplomacy

Opinion | A post-Brexit Britain in decline cannot afford to alienate China

Brexit showed sentiment without strategy ends in decline. London risks a repeat by letting anti-Beijing posturing dictate policy.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
Britain

UK man who dreamed of ‘being like Bond’ jailed for trying to spy for Russia

Howard Phillips tried to pass information about a former British defence secretary to undercover UK agents posing as Russian intelligence.

China-Australia relations

Hot-button regional issues expose Australians to foreign agents: spy chief

‘More Australians are being targeted for espionage and foreign interference than ever before,’ ASIO head Mike Burgess says.

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