David Cameron challenges China over cyber spying
PM makes clear concerns about cyber spying on Government and British companies during talks with Li Keqiang, the Chinese premier
11:00PM GMT 03 Dec 2013
David Cameron has personally pressed for talks with China about its industrial-scale snooping on Britain.
The Prime Minister made clear his concerns about cyber spying on the Government and British companies during talks with Li Keqiang, the Chinese premier, on the second day of his trade mission to the country.
Mr Cameron said: “I think that a proper cyber dialogue between countries is necessary and I have raised this with the Chinese leadership — that we need to properly discuss these issues. It is an issue of mutual concern and one that we should be discussing.” He added: “What we need to do is to up our investment in cyber security and cyber defence and that is exactly what GCHQ is doing.
“I launched with them a partnership with British industry to make sure that we properly protect ourselves. There is an enormous amount of work to be done.”
Mr Cameron added that the Government had committed £600 million in the last strategic defence and security review to deal with the problem.
Government sources said the Chinese had agreed to enter talks on the issue, a coup for Mr Cameron after similar suggestions to Beijing from Barack Obama were rebuffed. One source said: “There was an openness to engage and we will have to engage at official levels.” A leaked intelligence report in August said that Britain was under sustained cyber attack from China and Russia.
The Government and companies were facing regular attack by a Chinese cyber programme that has seen businesses lose “large amounts” of data, it said.
The 33 – page document from GCHQ’s Cyber Security Operations Centre said China had a “capable and very wide – ranging cyber programme targeting the full spectrum of governmental, military and commercial targets”.
It added that Beijing had mounted “a large number of relatively unsophisticated attacks” and had “successfully compromised networks globally”.
The report also warned that China could exploit its position as a major manufacturer of telecommunications equipment to help its espionage.
“China is a major player in the global telecommunications market. In addition to the threat of industrial espionage to sustain this position, there is an inherent risk of Chinese equipment being used for intelligence purposes,” it said.
A Chinese firm, Huawei, is the world’s second largest supplier of telecoms network equipment.
Suspicions about its activities have slowed its expansion in the United States, and it was barred from bidding for a role in an Australian broadband network, although it denies being controlled by the Chinese state and says it is owned by its staff. In July, Sir Kim Darroch, the national security adviser, was assigned to review a research centre in Oxfordshire operated by Huawei.
The inquiry came after the parliamentary intelligence and security committee raised concerns that Huawei’s equipment could be used to spy on Britain.
Nato disclosed in June that its networks sustained 10 serious cyber attacks a month, with some thought to come from Russia or China.
Earlier this year, American analysts said that a sophisticated team of hackers allegedly working for the Chinese government had targeted companies in the US with access to the power grid or in talks to acquire businesses in China.
Comment:
"Cameron made his trip look useful according to the British 'Tory' press. He was accorded the lowest level of welcome for a foreign leader according to the Chinese and Hong Kong press. The British Diplomats tried their best to make it sound an upbeat visit but the Chinese were humouring and laughing at him. He is an International political non-entity as was proved by his second class treatment at the recently concluded CHOGM. He tried to act the 'Flashmman' bully by refusing the hosts welcome and transport but the British media lapped it up."
Comment:
"Cameron made his trip look useful according to the British 'Tory' press. He was accorded the lowest level of welcome for a foreign leader according to the Chinese and Hong Kong press. The British Diplomats tried their best to make it sound an upbeat visit but the Chinese were humouring and laughing at him. He is an International political non-entity as was proved by his second class treatment at the recently concluded CHOGM. He tried to act the 'Flashmman' bully by refusing the hosts welcome and transport but the British media lapped it up."
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