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Espionage

Espionage
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Espionage. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
last updated:
9 September, 2024
Illustration: Craig Stephens
US-China relations

Opinion | Renewed US-China science pact advances cooperation, despite tech wars

The pact sustains targeted collaboration, but it also risks reinforcing emerging scientific blocs, potentially reshaping the global research landscape.

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US-China relations

US investigates China’s TP-Link, maker of Wi-fi routers, after cyberattacks

United States

US bans drone flights over critical sites in New Jersey amid security fears

US-China relations

US man Chen Jinping pleads guilty in Chinese ‘secret police station’ case

He faces up to five years in prison for conspiring to act as an unregistered foreign agent.

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Chen Jinping attends a hearing at a Brooklyn courthouse in New York in April. Courtroom sketch: Jane Rosenberg via Reuters
US-China relations

US TikTok ban: Supreme Court to review law banning Chinese-owned app

The arguments over whether the law violates freedom of speech protected by the US Constitution will be heard on January 10.

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Britain

UK woman accused of being Chinese spy loses case against MI5

The Investigatory Powers Tribunal ruled that the domestic spy agency’s decision did not breach her human rights.

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China-UK relations

Alleged Chinese spy linked to Prince Andrew denies claims, criticises UK political climate

Yang Tengbo says the description of him as a spy are ‘entirely untrue’, that he is a victim of a ‘political climate’.

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Britain’s Prince Andrew. File photo: AP
Drones

US should use advanced technology to identify mysterious drones, Schumer says

US government plays down drone sightings as a non-threat as video footage of mysterious airborne phenomena clogs social media.

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Britain

UK’s Prince Andrew says he’s ‘ceased all contact’ with alleged Chinese spy

A former UK minister called it ‘extremely embarrassing’ that a suspected Chinese agent had become a confidante of the disgraced royal.

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The Philippines

‘Stranger than fiction’: how Alice Guo’s case grips Filipinos

The case of former mayor Alice Guo has exposed weaknesses of local agencies in dealing with security gaps linked to Chinese crime syndicates.

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Alice Guo, former mayor of Bamban town, attends a Senate hearing in Manila over accusations of human trafficking and links to Chinese organised crime. Photo: AFP
United States

Mystery drones in New Jersey should be ‘shot down, if necessary’: US senator

Unexplained drone sightings above New Jersey have left locals rattled and sent US officials scrambling for answers.

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What appear to be multiple drones are seen flying over Bernardsville, New Jersey, on December 5. Photo: Brian Glenn/TMX via AP
China-South Korea relations

Beijing decries South Korean leader Yoon’s ‘Chinese spy’ defence of martial law

China responds to Yoon Suk-yeol’s remarks about alleged espionage targeting military facilities, calling the comments ‘deeply unsettling’.

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US-China relations

Chinese citizen arrested for flying drone over US Space Force base

Yinpiao Zhou is alleged to have recorded images of the Vandenberg military facility, where missions, including those by SpaceX, are launched.

China’s Communist Party

China warns foreign spies are hiring teens to steal state secrets

Anti-espionage agency says Chinese students tricked into sharing information on military facilities and other infrastructure for money.

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China’s top anti-spy agency cautions that foreign agents sometimes use pyramid scheme tactics to convince teenagers to recruit their friends. Photo: Robert Ng
US-China relations

8 US telecoms firms, dozens of nations hit by China hacking, White House says

The US believes the hackers were able to gain access to communications of senior US government officials and prominent political figures.

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White House officials believe that the hacking was regionally targeted and the focus was on very senior government officials. Photo illustration: Shutterstock
China’s Communist Party

China’s security ministry warns spies are using crowdsourcing to steal secrets

Ministry of State Security says foreign espionage agencies are duping people to gather intelligence through simplified everyday tasks, internet devices.

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China’s intelligence ministry warns of security risks from open-source data

Ministry of State Security says improperly handled publicly available data such as social media is a ‘key source’ of intelligence for foreign spies.

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European Union

Russia waging ‘reckless’ sabotage campaign in Europe: UK spy chief

Head of UK’s MI6 said the group recently uncovered a ‘staggeringly reckless campaign of Russian sabotage in Europe’.

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The head of the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS, also known as MI6), Richard Moore, also said that while Iran had been affected by the degrading of allied militias in the Middle East, its nuclear programme “threatens us all”.
Britain

Ex-UK soldier found guilty of spying for Iran

He had gathered a ‘very large body of restricted and classified material’ while posted in the UK and US.

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Russia

Russia expels British diplomat for spying, escalating tensions

The envoy was accused of activities threatening Russia’s security, straining already tense relations between the countries.

US-China relations

China says hi-tech study tours targeted by foreign governments

Ministry of State Security says overseas agents may use various methods to ‘win over and brainwash’ Chinese students studying abroad.

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Chinese students and faculty, particularly in key tech areas, who are headed on study tours overseas are warned by the country’s state security ministry they could be targets for foreign spies. Photo: Weibo/洛伦佐不爱电影
Technology

Beware of deepfakes used by foreign spies to target China: security ministry

Deepfake tools may be used by spy agencies as a new weapon for ‘cognitive warfare’, state security ministry cautions in social media post.

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Deepfakes use AI to manipulate images, audio and video, making highly realistic forgeries nearly indistinguishable from reality. Photo: Shutterstock
US presidential election 2024

Elon Musk’s China ties ‘a profound threat’ to US national security: senator

The SpaceX and Tesla CEO’s business interests could be exploited by Beijing, according to testimony at cybersecurity hearing.

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China’s anti-espionage agency warns spies could steal surveillance camera data

Ministry of State Security advises tightened management of nation’s vast camera network after receiving tip from citizen.

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Nordic nations

Undersea cables in Baltic Sea cut, Germany and Finland fear sabotage

Probes launched after communication cables between new Nato members Finland and Sweden and alliance partners Germany and Lithuania were damaged.

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The 1,200km cable connecting Helsinki to the German port of Rostock being laid in 2015. File photo: Lehtikuva via AFP
Cybersecurity

Russian extradited to US from South Korea to face cybercrime charges

Evgenii Ptitsyn allegedly extorted US$16 million from schools and hospitals using ransomware program, the Justice Department said.

A Russian national has been extradited to the US to face charges he distributed ransomware. Photo: Shutterstock
US-China relations

US accuses China of vast cyber-espionage against telecoms

Hackers stole call records and compromised communications belonging to a ‘limited number’ of people in US government and politics.

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United States

Pentagon secrets leaker sentenced to 15 years in US prison

Jack Teixeira, 22, pleaded guilty to six criminal counts and said ‘I’m sorry for all of the harm’.

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