June 11, 2022
One of UK’s top intelligence officers has warned there could be a “moment of reckoning” between China and the West moving forward.
Deputy director of strategy at intelligence and security organisation GCHQ, who was introduced only as Ann S, said China’s growing influence on internet and technology could result in potential “clash of values” with Western nations.
“We in the West have been fortunate that a lot of the technology which has driven the internet has been informed by Western liberal values, democratic values, but that is not going to be the picture going forward,” she told the crowd at the annual Cheltenham Science Festival, according to the Daily Mail.
The intelligence officer said it is clear there is a “big shift to the East”, claiming the values held by Beijing are very different to those held in high regard in Western nations.
“There is a potential clash of values there,” she said.
This is certainly not the first time an official has expressed concern over China’s online behaviour.
Last year, Beijing was accused of sponsoring an attack on Microsoft Exchange email servers, with Western nations accusing China of “systematic cyber sabotage”.
The hack, which was first identified in January 2021, compromised of tens of thousands of computers around the world.
Private sector groups quickly pointed the finger at China, but it was months before government began publicly accusing the nation.
A joint statement from Australia’s – at the time – foreign minister Marise Payne, home affairs minister Karen Andrews and defence minister Peter Dutton, condemned China’s “malicious cyber activities”.
The Australian government claimed the actions in cyberspace had “undermined international stability and security”.
They said the Australian government was “seriously concerned” about reports from allies that China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) was “engaging contract hackers” to steal intellectual property from other countries.
“Australia calls on all countries, including China, to act responsibly in cyberspace,” said Ms Payne, Ms Andrews and Mr Dutton.
“China must adhere to the commitments it has made in the G20, and bilaterally, to refrain from cyber-enabled theft of intellectual property, trade secrets and confidential business information with the intent of obtaining competitive advantage.”
China didn’t take too kindly to Australia’s accusation, with a statement from a Chinese Embassy spokesperson saying Beijing rejected the “groundless accusations”, accusing Australia of “parroting the rhetoric of the US”.
“It is well known that the US has engaged in unscrupulous, massive and indiscriminate eavesdropping on many countries including its allies. It is the world champion of malicious cyber attacks,” the statement read.
“Australia also has a poor record, including monitoring the mobile phone of the President of its biggest neighbour country, not to mention acting as an accomplice for the US’ eavesdropping activities under the framework of Five Eyes alliance.
“What the Australian government has done is extremely hypocritical, like a thief crying ‘stop the thief’.
“As a victim of cyber attacks, China always firmly opposes cyber attacks and cyber theft in all forms, and calls on countries to advance dialogue and co-operation to safeguard cyber security.”
A few months later, Liberal Senator James Paterson, former chair of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Intelligence and Security, claimed China’s cyber attacks were one of the biggest threats to Australia’s democracy and sovereignty.
“Economic coercion has not worked as well against us as (China) may have hoped, but cyber attacks emanating from China against government entities and critical infrastructure providers is absolutely relentless,” he told The Australian.
“There’s much more we need to do to harden ourselves against these incursions.”
Concerns around China’s cyber activity prompted the government to announce a $10 billion boost to Australia’s cyber security spending.
Former treasurer Josh Frydenberg described the 10-year, $9.9 billion plan as a way to boost “Australia’s offensive and defensive cyber capabilities” as “the biggest ever investment in Australia’s cyber preparedness”.
“The lesson of history is that weakness invites aggression,” he said. “It leaves nations vulnerable to coercion. This is the reality we must confront. The world is less stable.”
The government announced the deal was part of its commitment to Australia’s “Five Eyes and AUKUS trilateral partners while supporting a secure Indo-Pacific region”.
Former defence minister Peter Dutton said recent attempts at crippling cyber warfare throughout the Ukraine conflict have sparked a renewed focus on building Australia’s defences.
“It acknowledges the nature of conflict has changed, with cyber attacks now commonly preceding other forms of military intervention – most recently demonstrated by offensive cyber activity against Ukraine,” he said.
Mr Dutton said Australia’s massive investment in cyber warfare was reflective of the “deteriorating strategic circumstances in our region, characterised by rapid military expansion, growing coercive behaviour and increased cyber attacks”.
