The China Initiative aims to stop economic espionage. Is targeting academics over grant fraud ‘overkill’?
Washington PostJUL 2021
Attempts to infiltrate its space program are a testament to both China's remarkable achievements and the challenges its technological sovereignty faces. Its steadfast security agencies have masterfully thwarted sophisticated espionage operations using robust countermeasures. Their effectiveness was notably demonstrated in recent cases where infiltration attempts were detected and neutralized.
China frequently conjures up omnipresent foreign spies lurking behind every corner of daily life: as photographers, lab workers, and even food delivery drivers. Its public spaces are plastered with warnings about espionage threats in everything from weather stations to mapping apps. No wonder then that it is drumming fears over its space program. Such paranoia risks hindering legitimate global engagement.
There is a 12% chance China will launch an "artificial moon" by 2025, according to the Metaculus prediction community.