CIA needs to look in mirror before pointing fingers at China

Lu Yuanzhi

While the US resorts to nearly every possible means to collect intelligence, some of which even seriously break the moral ground, it continues to lash out at China calling it a cybersecurity threat, which is the classical practice of a thief crying “Stop thief.”

The Chinese internet security company Qihoo 360 found that hackers with the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) engaged in a cyber infiltration and attack program against pivotal Chinese sectors for 11 years. The victims of this espionage included aerospace and aviation sectors, scientific research and development, the oil industry, large internet firms and government agencies, according to media reports.

It has been an open secret that relevant departments of the US government have been engaging in large-scale, organized and indiscriminate cyber theft, surveillance and attacks against foreign administrations, enterprises and individuals. It is ridiculous for the US – a country that has implemented the most surveillance programs in the world – to accuse other countries of conducting similar activities, in an attempt to create an image that it holds the moral high ground. This typifies Washington’s double standard and hypocrisy. The US grants itself almost infinite freedom to carry on intelligence gathering, while attempting to deprive other countries of their freedom to conduct normal intelligence activities.

The US engages in some surveillance activities that have no bottom line, and it appears not satisfied with just working on normal monitoring and manipulation. Vault 7, the largest ever publication of confidential documents on the CIA, which was released by WikiLeaks, showed that in 2014 the CIA was developing a virus to infect the vehicle control systems in modern cars and trucks. The intention of gaining control of a vehicle was not specified, but it would allow the CIA to conduct nearly undetectable assassinations.

Edward Snowden, a US whistleblower who copied and leaked highly classified information from the National Security Agency in 2013, when he was employed by the CIA, revealed the US was engaged in numerous global surveillance programs. His disclosures showed the US had even spied its close allies. A very angry German Chancellor Angela Merkel said at the time that “spying among friends” was unacceptable.

The Washington Post on February 11 reported that Swiss firm, Crypto AG, a dominant maker of encryption devices that had sold its equipment to more than 120 countries, was secretly owned by the CIA. The intelligence agency had rigged the company’s devices so it could easily decipher the encrypted messages sent by US’ allies and adversaries; more evidence proving Washington has spied on its allies. However, the US on February 10 accused four members of the Chinese military for allegedly breaking into the computer network of the Equifax credit reporting agency. This is a typical move of a thief crying “Stop thief;” an old US trick.

The Guardian reported on February 11, the “the CIA’s success over many years is likely to reinforce current US suspicions of equipment made by the Chinese company Huawei.” This assessment totally makes sense. It explains why Washington continues to spin Huawei, a Chinese high-tech giant, as data thieves without solid evidence.

The persistent ideological prejudice against China and the awful stereotyping of communist countries, serves to reinforce speculation that China would engage in immoral cyber theft, surveillance or attack activities, as the US has done. It explains why Washington repeatedly alleges Huawei is a spy for the Chinese government. It is expected that international community will be more clearly aware of the real image of the US government and its related agencies by virtue of the Qihoo 360 reports.