LONDON听–听China is using its financial and scientific muscle to manipulate听迟别肠丑nologies in a manner that risks global security, Britain’s top cyber听蝉辫测听will say on Tuesday, warning that Beijing’s actions could represent “a huge听迟丑谤别补迟听to us听补濒濒.”
In a speech, Jeremy Fleming, director of the GCHQ听蝉辫测听agency, will say that the Chinese leadership was seeking to use听迟别肠丑nologies such as digital currencies and its Beidou satellite navigation network to tighten its grip over its citizens at home, while spreading its influence abroad.
“They seek to secure their advantage through scale and through control,” Fleming will say in the annual security lecture at the Royal United Services Institute think tank, according to extracts released by his office.
“This means they see opportunities to control the Chinese people rather than looking for ways to support and unleash their citizens’ potential. They see nations as either potential adversaries or potential client states, to be听迟丑谤别补迟ened, bribed, or coerced.”
The remarks are Fleming’s latest public warnings about Beijing’s behavior and aspirations. Last year, he said 聽to ensure China did not dominate important emerging听迟别肠丑nologies such as artificial intelligence, synthetic biology and genetics.
Fleming will say the Chinese leadership was driven by a听蹿别补谤听of their own citizens, of freedom of speech, of free trade and open听迟别肠丑nological standards and听补濒濒iances, “the whole open, democratic order and the international rules-based system.”
That听蹿别补谤听combined with听颁丑颈苍补’蝉听strength was听诲谤颈惫颈苍驳听it “into actions that could represent a huge听迟丑谤别补迟听to us听补濒濒,” he will say.
China has previously described similar accusations from Western governments as being groundless and politically motivated smears.
Fleming will also highlight听迟别肠丑nologies where he says China is seeking to gain leverage, such as its development of a centralized, digital currency to听补濒濒ow it to monitor the transactions of users, as well as to possibly evade the sort of sanctions Russia has faced since its invasion of听鲍办raine.
He will also point to Beidou, China鈥檚 answer to the U.S.-owned GPS navigation system.
“Many believe that China is building a powerful anti-satellite capability, with a doctrine of denying other nations access to space in the event of a conflict,” he will say. “And there are听蹿别补谤s the听迟别肠丑nology could be used to track individuals.” – Reuters
