China has accused the leader of MI6 of being “beautiful with fake news and fake intelligence” after the spy chief accused Beijing of trapping other countries in “debt traps” and “data traps”.
Richard Moore also revealed in his first public speech on Tuesday as head of the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS). China had become the main focus of his spies.
He accused China’s intelligence services of “large-scale espionage operations” against Britain and called on nations around the world to be “clear-eyed” when concluding agreements with Beijing.
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The spy chief’s sharp warning over China
The Chinese embassy in London retaliated, saying Mr Moore’s allegations that China traps countries with bad loans and exploits their data “are based on false intelligence, not factual evidence”.
The statement, attributed to a spokesman, said: “The truth is that not a single country has fallen into the so-called ‘debt trap’ as a result of loans from China.”
On the issue of “data traps”, Mr Moore had raised the alarm over what he described as the risk of accepting a Chinese technological solution to a problem only to find a back door built into the system that would allow China to access to data about a population and erode their sovereignty.
These comments also appear to have annoyed Chinese diplomats.
A spokesman for the Chinese embassy said the country was a ‘main victim of cyber theft and attacks’ as well as ‘a loyal defender of cyber security’. File image
The embassy spokesman accused Britain of being “beautiful with fake news and fake intelligence” in his accusation that China is creating ‘data traps’ to undermine other countries’ sovereignty.
They said: “The truth is that China is a major victim of cyber theft and attacks and a staunch defender of cyber security.”
The embassy claimed that China does not interfere in other countries’ internal affairs – “it does not impose its own will on others or seek any political benefits”.
This claim contrasted with the picture drawn by Mr Moore, who expressed concern over the Chinese government’s efforts “to distort public discourse and political decision – making across the globe”.
The Chinese embassy ended its reprimand by saying, “We urge the British side to correct its mistakes, stop playing the trick with a thief shouting ‘stop thief’, and stop its unfounded attacks on China.”
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