Covert Contact 117: Alleged Chinese Espionage Activity in the News

In this 2020 conversation, William Tucker and I explored several dimensions of Chinese intelligence operations.

Universities Making Progress Against Espionage

On a more encouraging note, then-FBI Director Christopher Wray had announced significant progress in getting universities to cooperate on countering Chinese espionage activities on campuses. This development had been years in the making. William recalled that roughly a decade earlier, an FBI counterintelligence director had tried to warn universities about these threats and was essentially told to "go pound sand."

That cooperation could help protect both institutional research and students. William emphasized the risk of Chinese intelligence services targeting ethnic Chinese students studying abroad for recruitment. Students who came to America to study could find themselves being drawn into intelligence activity. Better awareness and cooperation could help universities recognize and reduce that avenue of exploitation.

One of the challenges in this area is balancing vigilance without painting innocent people with a broad brush. When espionage happens at scale, there's a risk of creating something akin to a witch hunt. That's why behavior-focused security programs are essential – they avoid tunnel vision and potential discrimination while still protecting valuable research and individuals.

European Think Tank Leader Under Investigation

Across the Atlantic, another case caught my attention. Fraser Cameron, a former MI6 officer who then headed the EU-Asia Centre think tank, was reportedly under investigation over allegations that he had passed EU information to Chinese spies posing as journalists. The reports discussed in the episode described an investigation involving British MI6 and Belgian counterintelligence.

Cameron called the allegations "absurd," saying he had been out of MI6 for nearly 30 years and did not have access to sensitive information. As a think tank director, he naturally spoke with many people, including journalists.

The discussion highlighted how intelligence collection doesn't always require direct access to classified material. People with broad networks and connections can inadvertently share information that, while not technically classified, isn't meant for public consumption. William also raised the possibility that investigators were interested in a wider network of contacts associated with the alleged Chinese agents. The available reporting left many details uncertain.

We considered Brexit-related trade negotiations as one possible context for the reported activity. China would have an interest in understanding negotiating positions, vulnerabilities, and the relationships between the parties. Seeking an advantage in negotiations is a familiar intelligence objective. This was our analysis of possible motives; the details of the case remained uncertain.

Historical Perspective on Intelligence Operations

As William and I discussed the volume of Chinese espionage cases in the news, our conversation took a historical turn. The pace of the reporting felt unusual, but intelligence operations have deep historical roots. William drew parallels with the active Venetian Secret Service and its extensive networks. We also discussed intelligence activity around the Thirty Years' War, including efforts to intercept diplomatic dispatches and understand what other parties wanted from negotiations.

This historical perspective reminds us that human nature hasn't changed. The fundamental tactics and tradecraft of intelligence, despite technological advances, remain rooted in human behavior. For those interested in entering the intelligence field, studying this history provides invaluable insights that complement more recent examples from the Cold War era.

There's plenty of instructive material available, from the CIA's online resources to Department of Justice indictments. These primary sources often include investigative detail that shorter news reports cannot cover. Indictments describe prosecutors' allegations and should be read with that distinction in mind.

Intelligence work is endlessly complex, combining human factors with rapidly evolving technology. The learning never ends – which makes this field simultaneously challenging and deeply rewarding.

I'm constantly reminded that despite high-tech developments, intelligence remains fundamentally about humans seeking advantages, leveraging weaknesses, and navigating complex relationships. Whether we're examining cases from medieval Venice or the modern world, the underlying principles remain remarkably consistent.