- The global community is quite aware by now how China and its communist leadership led by President Xi Jinping simply press ahead with uncalled-for aggressiveness, intransigence, stubbornness, and general disregard for the accepted norms around the world. My way or high way syndrome bogging the Chinese leadership has only gained further strength over the last few years even as the global community increasingly sees highhanded episodes on a perpetual basis. Of course, China pretty well is aware of how its economic heft provides maneuvering space to not only challenge the established world order but also strongly believes it can take on the might of the superpower, the USA with confidence as well.
PC: freepik
- No wonder, China has embarked on an unabashed expansionist agenda right from the neighbourhood to strategically important locations to gain control over the land and sea routes. Hence, reports of several inappropriate moves involving China invariably lead to unpleasant exchanges stirring the hornet’s nest even with some of the most advanced nations. Look at the latest Chinese spy balloon incident reported off the US coast which was eventually shot down. Unsurprisingly, this has further strained superpower relations in the bargain. Mind you, China’s response may be limited to angry words, but it’s unlikely to change its course. This wasn’t the first Chinese surveillance balloon to be detected but was the most sophisticated one though.
- And reports are coming in of a second spy balloon flying over Central and South America as we read. Thus, there are important lessons here for countries like India that share a land border with China and have serious differences with Beijing. First, it is quite clear from the balloon incident that Chinese spy tech is getting increasingly sophisticated. Remember, last year’s docking of a Chinese spy ship masquerading as a research vessel at Sri Lanka’s Hambantota port was another example of Beijing’s growing espionage capabilities. Beijing insisted that the balloon flying over sensitive US military sites was a wayward weather monitoring device. But its angry reaction after a US fighter jet shot down the balloon shows the craft wasn’t just studying wind patterns.
PC: freepik
- Also, it is increasingly clear that given China’s autocratic communist regime, distinctions between government and civilian assets are superficial. As such, vast civilian resources are at Beijing’s disposal to carry out espionage, data collection, and grey-zone tactics. China is using an all-of-government-and-civil-society approach to spy on other countries. It is incumbent that India needs to upgrade its hi-tech counter-espionage measures and apparently, India is quite behind in this game. Needless to mention, there is an urgent need to step up counter-intelligence cooperation with the US and other like-minded democracies to counter China’s dubious plans. Without countering the same, China will feel even more emboldened in the coming days.
