According to Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, the government in Beijing has nothing to do with the actual computer-attacks on Germany.
Hans-Elmar Remberg, vice-president of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the office responsible for counterintelligence, has a different view on the matter: communist China was behind the digital army that channeled trojans into Germany's state-owned computers, the expert told German weekly Der Spiegel.
Remberg's explanation sounds plausible to Chinese ex-diplomat Chen Yonglin. Until May 2005, Chen was working as First Secretary in the Chinese consulate in Sydney, until he defected out of conscience. Chen told The German Epoch Times, "Premier Wen has known about this issue for a long time. It's very unlikely that such action—trojans attacking computer systems of the German government on a large scale—would have been initiated by private hackers."
According to Chen, "The General Staff of the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China is the main initiator for spying on military information and high-technology in Western countries. It has built up a worldwide network of well-trained professional spies.
"Because of Germany's important role in international politics, business and technology, the Chinese government would have a special interest in the Federal Republic of Germany," said Chen.
"Most sought-after would be information on politics, military, economy and technology that could enhance one's position in diplomatic talks. "Stealing Western technology saves China a lot of money. Behind that the political objective of China's Communist Party (CCP), to legitimize itself and to strengthen its position of power, would take cover."
Furthermore, "Every person abroad with Chinese roots could be used as an informant by the CCP."
Concerning the alleged number of 800,000 Chinese spies around the globe, Chen commented, "And that wouldn't include businessmen, scientists, technicians and students." Also affected would be the third generation of overseas Chinese that already grew up in the West. Every member of the Chinese diplomatic corps has the task to collect information on the "five poisons, which means Tibetan exiles, Taiwanese, Muslim Uighurs, Democracy Activists and Falun Gong Practitioners."
Advantages, Nationalism and Blackmail
A classic example is Liu Tong, who graduated with honors from the most prestigious Chinese technical university, the University of Science and Technology of China in Hefei, Anhui Province. Shortly before starting his studies abroad at Yale in the United States of America, security officers from the security office in Shanghai invited him to a talk.
"We know that you don't only qualify through your scientific research, but you have other abilities as well. You shouldn't go back after studying abroad but stay there," Liu recalls from the talks.
At the beginning he didn't understand what was meant, and the following explanation scared him a lot. He should try to integrate into U.S. society after his studies and win the trust of America's upper class in order to be able to deliver important information to China. In return he would receive all kinds of favors. But Liu decided against it and is, according to his own words, happy about it.
Good remuneration from the CCP, the opportunity to travel to China for free and "all-inclusive" research-and cooperation-contracts would be the reason why. According to Chen Yonglin, "so many Chinese businessmen, students, scientists, engineers and others" would spy for the CCP.
Another factor that comes into play, says Chen is the CCP's permanent ideological indoctrination of Nationalism that would be "planted into every bone of every Chinese." They would see their job as a snitch as doing something patriotic. "As soon as they started with it, they continue as if they were on opium."
The West Remains Passive
"China is not a democratic country, the communist Chinese Government forces it's people to work as informants. At some stage, they want to return home and not be greeted by any problems. They have relatives in China, they all want peace and quiet" says Claude Moniquet, Director of the European Strategic Intelligence and Security Centre in Brussels who participated in investigating a student organization in Louvain, Belgium.
The student organization was an agent organization for the Chinese regime. A member of this organization, a Chinese student, stepped away in 2005 and handed over a list of more than 100 spies to Belgium agencies, together with a detailed report about the student organization. Even though this organization had been observed since 2003 by several news agencies in Europe, the Belgium government had undertaken no extensive counter measures.
According to Chen Yonglin, the West's governments know about the systematic Chinese spying in their own countries, however one would want to avoid a "diplomatic war." The reason being, financial relations and fear of "radical reactions" from the Chinese regime. However, that supports the Chinese regime, "That is short sighted and not intelligent," said Chen.
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