Trump Administration Indicts Chinese Nationals on Alleged Cyber Espionage Charges
The action was all about aiding corporate America over foreign competition, notably China’s aim to be an economic, industrial and technological powerhouse, well on its way toward achieving it. Huawei is a cutting-edge, privately owned, Chinese tech giant.
Were charges evidence-based or politically motivated? Most likely the latter. More to develop on this ahead.
Hostile US political, economic, and financial actions against China, Russia and Iran risk developing into something much more serious than already.
China is America’s main economic rival – why Canada acted as a US proxy in the arrest and detention of Huawei Technologies’ chief financial officer Sabrina Meng Wanzhou, still holding her as a virtual prisoner under house arrest.
The action was all about aiding corporate America over foreign competition, notably China’s aim to be an economic, industrial and technological powerhouse, well on its way toward achieving it.
Huawei is a cutting-edge, privately owned, Chinese tech giant, a pioneering firm, the world’s largest multinational telecom equipment maker, the second largest smartphone maker – behind Samsung, ahead of Apple.
It’s a Fortune top 100 global company, its revenue last year around $92 billion, a market leader in scores of countries worldwide – competing successfully against rival US firms.
The Trump regime wants US telecom/tech companies, getting an international advantage over Huawei by fair or foul means – what targeting Meng is all about.
It’s notably an effort to undermine Huawei’s efforts to become the world’s leading fifth generation (5G) cellular communications company.
The same thing appears to lie behind the Trump regime’s Justice Department action against two Chinese nationals, Zhu Hua and Zhang Shilong, reportedly employed by Huaying Haitai Science and Technology Development Company.
They’re accused of being hackers for a group known as APT 10, standing for Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) – undetected cyberattacks over a prolonged period. They’re more about monitoring network activity than data theft or attempts to damage invaded networks or organizations.
Zhu and Zhang were indicted on dubious charges of conspiracy to commit computer intrusions, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft.
According to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, ‘(t)he indictment alleges that the defendants were part of a group that hacked computers in at least a dozen countries and gave China’s intelligence service access to sensitive business information,” adding:
“This is outright cheating and theft, and it gives China an unfair advantage at the expense of law-abiding businesses and countries that follow the international rules in return for the privilege of participating in the global economic system.”
FBI Christopher Wray claimed “China’s goal…is to replace the US as the world’s leading superpower—and they’re breaking the law to get there, adding:
“They’re using an expanding set of non-traditional and illegal methods. And Chinese state-sponsored actors are the most active perpetrators of economic espionage against us.”
Hostile actions against Huawei and the above named Chinese nationals may undermine Sino/US trade talks.
In response to charges against Zhu and Zhang, Beijing accused the Trump regime of “fabricating” them, “smearing the Chinese side on cybersecurity issues.”
Trump’s Justice Department alleges that Zhu and Zhang acted on behalf of Beijing’s Ministry of State Security (MSS). China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying responded strongly to the charges, saying:
“The US move is vicious in nature, severely violating the basic norms governing international relations and damaging cooperating between the two countries. China resolutely opposes the accusations and has lodged a solemn representations to the US side,” adding:
“The Chinese government’s position on cybersecurity issues is consistent and clear. China is a staunch defender of cybersecurity and has consistently opposed and cracked down on any form of cybersecurity.”
“For a long time, it has long been an open secret for the relevant departments of the United States to conduct large-scale and organized network theft and monitoring and monitoring activities for foreign governments, enterprises and individuals.”
Washington’s Five Eyes partnered countries, jointly cooperating in signals intelligence – Australia, Britain Canada, and New Zealand – are in cahoots with the Trump regime in lodging charges against China.
Will hacking charges and unacceptable treatment of Meng derail Sino/US talks to resolve major differences between the world’s dominant economies?
Are further hostile US actions against China coming? Is Beijing’s patience with the Trump regime wearing thin?
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Award-winning author Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at [email protected]. He is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG)
His new book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.”
http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html
Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.
