CIA cites need to monitor Chinese firms in advanced tech

Remarks come ahead of Trump-Xi summit

US President Donald Trump speaks Tuesday (local time) at the Ellipse near the White House during "Steel Across America," a civilian-led event commemorating victims of the Sept. 11 attacks. [AFP]
US President Donald Trump speaks Tuesday (local time) at the Ellipse near the White House during "Steel Across America," a civilian-led event commemorating victims of the Sept. 11 attacks. [AFP]

The US Central Intelligence Agency has signaled it may expand its intelligence-gathering targets to include Chinese companies in advanced technology fields such as AI and semiconductors. The agency cited the need to broaden espionage efforts aimed at China.

CIA Deputy Director Michael Ellis said Tuesday (local time) that the agency should widen the scope and targets of its intelligence operations against China, speaking at a cybersecurity conference in Washington.

"China poses a fundamentally different type of threat than past geopolitical rivals, in that it is an economic competitor," Ellis said in public remarks.

Ellis noted that China's Communist Party system does not allow for an independent private sector as exists in the United States. He said Chinese companies in fields such as AI, semiconductors and biotech could be legitimate targets for intelligence collection.

"Valuable information about advanced technology does not reside where information used to reside, in the political, military and diplomatic realm," he added. "It resides in something closer to the private sector, which is why we need to expand the CIA's authority and scope for gathering intelligence."

In an interview with The New York Times following his public remarks, Ellis said, "We have always collected intelligence in some form or another. What is different from the past is that it is not simply about collecting information on tanks, missiles and submarines."

The New York Times said the remarks mark a subtle departure from the stance of past US administrations. Previous administrations had drawn a strict line between intelligence activities for defense and diplomatic purposes and espionage for economic gain.

The comments drew particular attention as they came ahead of a summit between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping planned for later this month.

The Trump administration also sharply criticized Chinese AI companies that day, accusing them of maliciously copying AI technology developed by American firms.


woo@heraldcorp.com