China’s intelligence agency calls case of ‘extreme environmentalism’ a threat to national security
- Ministry says it ‘lawfully punished’ Chinese resident who ‘fabricated’ materials suggesting environmental issues in fishing industry
- It claims the person had helped ‘some countries’ to enact trade restrictions against China in ‘carefully orchestrated political conspiracy’
It was the Ministry of State Security’s latest warning as Beijing seeks to revive the economy amid an intensifying trade rivalry with the US and its allies.
Li had “enthusiastically” taken part in environmental protection activities and was recruited by “anti-China forces” while studying abroad, building connections with non-government organisations, overseas industry associations and multinational companies, according to the post.
The ministry said that with the support of an overseas agency, Li had set up a consulting firm in China to collect information on the fishing industry, including industry policy and data, to share with those contacts.
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It said Li had received instructions from overseas contacts, had “fabricated” materials to suggest there were environmental problems in the industry, and had helped “some countries” to enact trade restrictions against China.
The ministry said its investigation found that the actions had resulted in suppression of Chinese aquatic exports by some foreign entities under the pretext of “environmental protection”, which it called a “carefully orchestrated political conspiracy”.
The post did not give further details of the allegations, including Li’s nationality or where the “anti-China forces” were located, and it did not say if any arrests had been made.
It said China’s economy was “rebounding and shows signs of long-term improvement” but some countries – which the ministry did not name – were using environmental issues to engage in protectionism that was hindering China’s foreign trade growth.
Beijing is grappling with a sluggish post-pandemic economic recovery, while an increasing focus on national security has permeated all aspects of its governance at a time when rivalry is heating up with the West.
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China is the world’s largest producer of aquaculture seafood and it is also the biggest seafood exporter, accounting for more than 60 per cent of global production.
The importance of the fishing industry is expected to grow given its significance in the domestic economy, Beijing’s quest for food security and its push to expand the ocean economy in recent years.
But China has long been criticised for the high state subsidies given to the industry and its role in depleting the world’s fish stocks and damaging maritime ecosystems after exhausting its own resources.
In a 2020 case, a vast Chinese fishing fleet of 340 vessels was reportedly found operating near the biodiverse and ecologically sensitive Galápagos Islands by the Ecuadorian navy, prompting outrage and concern in the region and beyond.
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China formally accepted a World Trade Organization agreement in June last year to cut state subsidies for its fisheries sector as the WTO’s 164 members agreed to work towards diminishing billions of dollars in “harmful” government subsidies that are depleting the oceans.
Responding to international pressure from ocean conservation groups and foreign governments, Beijing has tightened controls of its fishing fleet in recent years, including reducing the number of vessels involved in distant-water fishing.
