Intelligence Chiefs’ Joint Statement

December 1, 2023

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As reported by Reuters, Intelligence chiefs of the Five Eyes intelligence sharing network have reportedly accused China of intellectual property theft and of using artificial intelligence to hack and spy against nations and private businesses. Intelligence officials from the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, known collectively as the Five Eyes, made the comments following meetings with private companies in Silicon Valley.

US FBI Director Christopher Wray reportedly claimed that the meeting was intended to confront the “unprecedented threat” China poses, as intelligence officials reportedly allege that the country is stealing secrets across various economic sectors. Canadian Security Intelligence Service Director, David Vigneault, reportedly also raised concerns about China’s increasing collaborations with Canadian universities. The Globe and Mail reported that 50 Canadian universities have collaborated with a top Chinese army scientific institution for years, which has reportedly led to a recent government policy to ban federal research grants for projects linked to foreign state actors that pose a threat to Canada’s national security.

In response to Five Eyes’ statement, the Chinese government’s spokesperson, Liu Pengyu, reportedly said that China was committed to intellectual property protection and that these allegations were “groundless”.

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Authors: Olivia Moon and Arash Rouhi