Security News > 2022 > July > FBI and MI5 bosses: China cheats and steals at massive scale

Speaking to an audience of business and academic leaders, MI5 director general Ken McCallum and FBI director Chris Wray argued that Beijing's Made in China 2025 program and other self-sufficiency tech goals can't be achieved without a boost from illicit activities.

The Chinese Government sees cyber as the pathway to cheat and steal on a massive scale.

China's efforts have stepped up significantly, McCallum said, with MI5 running seven times as many investigations against Chinese activity today than in 2018.

The MI5 director also warned that China was working to change attitudes to suit the Chinese Communist Party's interests and support it dominating the international order - and playing the long game to normalize mass theft as "The cost of doing business these days."

"The Chinese Government sees cyber as the pathway to cheat and steal on a massive scale," said Wray.

Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for China's embassy in Washington, responded on Wednesday denying interference, accusing the US of cyberattacks itself and characterizing criticism as "US politicians who have been tarnishing China's image and painting China as a threat with false accusations."

News URL

https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2022/07/07/fbi_and_mi5_china_warning/