FBI Director Warns Against China's Tech Theft: 'It Has Flesh And Blood, Kitchen-Table Consequences'

Global intelligence chiefs have expressed grave concerns about China’s large-scale theft of intellectual property and trade secrets in technology. The scale of this threat is unparalleled in history, according to the heads of intelligence agencies from the U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, collectively known as the Five Eyes.

FBI Director Christopher Wray named China as the “defining threat of this generation,” reported CBS News. He highlighted that the Chinese government’s direct and indirect efforts to steal intellectual property and personal data present a comprehensive threat to innovation and economic security, not just in the U.S., but across all Five Eyes countries.

Wray pointed out that this issue isn’t only a problem with Wall Street but is a threat to jobs, families and livelihoods across the five countries.

“It’s not some abstract concept. It has flesh and blood, kitchen-table consequences,” he said.

The threat extends beyond IP theft, with allegations of China meddling in elections and carrying out violent actions against Chinese dissidents living abroad.

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The Five Eyes intelligence leaders convened a private meeting with top Silicon Valley executives and Stanford University on Wednesday. The meeting aimed to devise strategies to protect companies and their intellectual property.

MI5 Director General Ken McCallum addressed the corporate world, urging those operating at the forefront of technology to recognize the geopolitical interest in their work. He warned that failure to do so would not only risk national secrets but also the viability of their companies.

While the intelligence leaders have grave concerns about China, Wray affirmed that the U.S. still welcomes business, visitors, and academic exchange with China, provided there is no cheating, theft, or repression. China, in response, strongly opposed the allegations, calling them “groundless smears”.

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