Spy chiefs brazen pots calling the kettle black: China Daily editorial

In a joint op-ed published in the Financial Times over the weekend, the heads of the United States and United Kingdom intelligence agencies, CIA director William Burns and MI6 chief Sir Richard Moore, once again pointed fingers of disrespect at China, spuriously alleging it presents an intelligence challenge.

While China naturally has its own intelligence service, their accusations ring hollow given the unsupported nature of their allegations and the extensive well-documented history of the hacking and spying activities orchestrated by their own nations.

In their article, Burns and Moore claimed that the US and UK are currently grappling with an "unprecedented array of threats”, and asserted that the ascent of China is the paramount intelligence and geopolitical challenge of the century. They declared that their agencies were being reorganized to prioritize this perceived threat, signaling an escalation in espionage efforts aimed at China.

The brazenness and self-righteousness displayed in their rhetoric are astounding. The US, in particular, operates a sprawling surveillance empire designed to assert US dominance on the world stage, epitomized by programs such as PRISM, Irritant Horn, Stellar Wind, Bvp47, the Hive, and numerous other clandestine initiatives, the majority of which no doubt remain unknown.

Recent revelations have shed some light on the extent of US espionage activities, including the targeting of world leaders' communications. A decade after Edward Snowden exposed US spying on numerous global figures, leaked Pentagon documents unveiled a new wave of scandals, revealing espionage operations not only against adversaries but also against allies such as Ukraine, the Republic of Korea, and Israel.

China, like many other nations, has been a victim of US and Western surveillance operations. The uncovering of multiple foreign espionage cases involving operatives working for the CIA and MI6 within and outside China underscores the pervasive nature of these activities.

Despite the tarnished track records of their agencies, the heads of the US and UK intelligence agencies have chosen to publicly champion their questionable practices, perpetuate the outdated "China threat” narrative, and vowed to intensify their spying efforts. Their intentions seem geared toward disseminating disinformation and misleading the global community.

However, the international community remains vigilant. The credibility of the US intelligence apparatus has been marred by a series of scandals, from Snowden to WikiLeaks, exposing the wolves within the sheep's clothing. The world now sees through their facade, recognizing that those crying wolf are often the wolves themselves.

As a nation steadfast in safeguarding its sovereignty, security, and development interests, China will persist in cracking down on espionage activities. The vows of the CIA and MI6 chiefs to escalate spying efforts will only fortify China's determination to resist Western coercion, uphold its rights, and protect its interests from unwarranted intrusion.