Christopher Wray, director of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, said Beijing was drawing lessons from Russia’s war in Ukraine. Speaking about the Chinese threat to Taiwan, he said the Chinese government is looking for ways to protect its economy from possible future sanctions. “We call this kind of behavior a signal,” Mr Wray said, sharing a platform with MI5 director-general Ken McCallum on a visit to the UK’s Security Service headquarters in London. Western allies have used sweeping sanctions to punish Russian President Vladimir Putin for his invasion of Ukraine. Despite the fact that Russia is a significant threat, the two security chiefs chose to focus on the Chinese Communist Party and its covert operations against their countries, allies and the wider world. They accused Beijing of a massive, sustained effort to steal Western advances in technology, research and other fields, and to use the West’s democratic, media and legal systems to its advantage. “The most game-changing challenge we face comes from the Chinese Communist Party,” Mr McCallum said, speaking to an audience of executives from technology companies and other officials invited to the joint address at Thames House on Wednesday. “It’s secretly exerting pressure around the world. This may seem abstract. But it’s real and pressing. We need to talk about it. We need to act.” Image: Chinese Communist Party meeting in Beijing in November 2021. Image: AP Mr McCallum said MI5 had more than doubled what he described as his agency’s “previously limited effort” against “Chinese activity of concern” since 2018 and was conducting seven times as many investigations. “We intend to deploy the same again while maintaining a significant effort against the covert threats of Russia and Iran,” he said. He later added that the doubling would take place over the next “handful of years”. Read more: Xi, Putin agree to deepen ties during ‘warm and friendly’ phone conversation Ukraine’s fate matters because ‘China is watching’
