The Chinese military warns that China must be prepared to counter serious national security threats from foreign reconnaissance and surveillance activities.
China should be prepared “to throw a punch;” otherwise, it may be on the receiving end of “one hundred punches,” the PLA Daily, the primary publication of the People’s Liberation Army, asserts.
Several incidents have raised alarms in China.
The USNS Bowditch’s unmanned underwater drone activities in the South China Sea, the appearance of high-quality images of China’s second aircraft carrier, which is still in development and considered a state secret, in reports from Kyodo News Agency, and the tracking of Chinese navy submarines put China at a disadvantage regarding intelligence.
“It is a major security threat that we cannot afford to ignore,” the PLA Daily argued, “If a war were to break out tomorrow, intelligence would be our Achilles heel.”
The article claims that foreign spying has repeatedly cost China dearly.
Before the Sino-Japanese War, Japan sent spies into the Qing government to collect intelligence for nearly two decades. When war broke out, China never stood a chance, China’s military asserts.
“We are determined to step up our counter-reconnaissance efforts, and we are certain that we can contain activities that are harmful to China’s national interests,” the report added.
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy took action against the U.S. last month. China seized a U.S. naval unmanned underwater vehicle in the presence of the USNS Bowditch.
“It should be emphasized that the U.S. has been regularly sending ships and planes into Chinese waters for reconnaissance purposes for a long time. China is firmly opposed to these activities and demands the U.S. stop immediately,” Ministry of National Defense spokesman Yang Yujun said.
“China will remain vigilant to U.S. activities and shall take necessary measures to respond,” he added.
“Intelligence gathering around China has posed a severe threat to China’s national security,” the Global Times argued. “If the U.S.military won’t adjust its general strategy of close-up surveillance of China, close encounters between the two sides will not decrease.”
“The unmanned drone was just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to U.S. military actions against China,” Chinese foreign affairs expert Hua Yiwen wrote in a People’s Daily article.
The article did not mention China’s intelligence-gathering activities.
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