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FBI Says Chinese Operatives Active at Scores of U.S. Universities

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Re: FBI Says Chinese Operatives Active at Scores of U.S. Universities

#51

Post by rhizome »

edraferi wrote: post #41
seandougall wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They don’t seem to be terribly clear on what they are worried about, if this article is to be taken at face value. The closest thing to a legitimate concern they can manage to cough up is that China might be stealing American research — but if that’s the case, why aren’t we more worried about other countries (say, ones that have less in the way of their own research resources than China)? Edit: thanks for adding the…

From Page 12 of the DNI's statement [0] in yesterday's hearing: China, for example, has acquired proprietary technology and early-stage ideas through cyberenabled means. At the same time, some actors use largely legitimate, legal transfers and relationships to gain access to research fields, experts, and key enabling industrial processes that could, over time, erode America’s long-term competitive advantages [0] http…

That could be said about any student who is a citizen of another country.

Re: FBI Says Chinese Operatives Active at Scores of U.S. Universities

#52

Post by Sir_Cmpwn »

rdtsc wrote: post #44
Sir_Cmpwn wrote: post #8

Wow, this seems like straight-up racist fearmongering. The Chinese have "infliltrated" our schools by attending and starting culturally oriented studies? What's wrong with setting up classes for studying Mandarin, the #1 most popular language on the planet?

What if these were Russians and the title was "FBI Says Russian Operatives..." would you have said it's straight up racist fear-mongering? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Office_of_Personnel_Management...

I wasn't just reacting to the title, but the body too. If the whole article was just s/China/Russia/g I would react the same way. On a geopolitical scale China is probably a bigger threat to the United States than Russia these days anyway.

Re: FBI Says Chinese Operatives Active at Scores of U.S. Universities

#53

Post by Cyberdog »

platinumrad wrote: post #45
GuiA wrote: post #19

Reminds me of this story from last year: But those [Chinese] students often bring to campus something else from home: the watchful eyes and occasionally heavy hand of the Chinese government, manifested through its ties to many of the 150-odd chapters of the Chinese Students and Scholars Associations. The groups have worked in tandem with Beijing to promote a pro-Chinese agenda and tamp down anti-Chinese speech on Wes…

>EDIT: damn, downvotes are coming fast for this one. I wonder why :^) The China Internet Defense Force strikes again. My impression is that the PRC doesn't even have to pay for shills (as opposed to the ROC) as nationalistic fervor is strong enough among the general population for this sort of activity to occur organically but I could be wrong about either or both.

Are you speaking of the 50 Cent Army? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/50_Cent_Party

Re: FBI Says Chinese Operatives Active at Scores of U.S. Universities

#54

Post by PricelessValue »

IntronExon wrote: post #4

The FBI never changes, does it? I’m not even saying that they’re wrong, but stating it this way is just fodder for bin fires. It would be strange if China and others didn’t do this, and strange if the US didn’t do it to them.

Of course we do and of course they do. What's interesting is why the sudden "expose" and the media blitz. It's like how we knew the russians and everyone has been taking steroids for decades, but all of a sudden there was a media blitz against russia.

Is it just the elites trying to put pressure on china or are we at the beginning stages of a fundamental shift in our relations with china?

Have the elites decided on a more antagonistic position against china?

Re: FBI Says Chinese Operatives Active at Scores of U.S. Universities

#55

Post by IntronExon »

meowface wrote: post #31
IntronExon wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree with the general principle you’re describing, it I’m unconvinced that it applies in this case. Do you see what I mean? How does this warning empower the public?

Perhaps if you're a researcher at a university and you get an interesting business offer out of the blue in exchange for access to something (maybe data you've gathered), you may be a bit more wary and consider if you're being manipulated by another government's intelligence service.

That’s a good point, and probably good advice regardless of the latest statement from the FBI. Of course if the data is sensitive or controlled, hopefully people are already on that guard.

Re: FBI Says Chinese Operatives Active at Scores of U.S. Universities

#56

Post by rdtsc »

IntronExon wrote: post #46
rdtsc wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What if these were Russians and the title was "FBI Says Russian Operatives..." would you have said it's straight up racist fear-mongering? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Office_of_Personnel_Management...

Probably the phrase “McCarthyism” would be used instead.

Yap, agree, that's more appropriate perhaps. This whole "everything I don't agree with is racist" and anyone I don't agree with is a "nazi" is very easy to take too far.

One one hand they have to be suspicious, because counterintelligence it's one of their duties. Especially after the OPM breach.

On the other hand, there is a danger of them going overboard. This is a great example of that:

http://www.latimes.com/local/orangecounty/la-me-muslim-fbi-2...

They send an undercover informant to a mosque in Irvine, CA. Undercover informant instead of listening and observing, starts spewing radical crap and recruiting people. The mosque reports him to the FBI. That was an awkward Monday morning meeting I bet. Or maybe business as usual, who knows...

Re: FBI Says Chinese Operatives Active at Scores of U.S. Universities

#57

Post by olyjohn »

zengid wrote: post #50

That would explain why my school's international students have such nice, James Bond-esk, cars.

Eh... I worked at a community college whose bread and butter was international students. Lots of them had really expensive cars. Not sure why China would send hundreds of operatives to infiltrate a community college and then pay to put them in flashy cars. It's more likely just rich parents.

Re: FBI Says Chinese Operatives Active at Scores of U.S. Universities

#58

Post by DrJokepu »

tptacek wrote: post #43
DanAndersen wrote: post #32

During my undergrad university days (at the University of Utah), I took some Mandarin classes. There was a local Confucius Institute which provided various free materials in Chinese to the campus library. The extent of my direct contact with them was receiving a couple hundred dollars for doing well in a Mandarin speech contest they held for my class. It was obvious that there was a certain propaganda aspect to this…

Why would you expect the Confucius Institute to provide information on the negatives of Chinese government? It's a Chinese culture organization, and it's directly affiliated with the government of China.

Other, similar organizations from other countries often at least try to maintain the illusion of some degree of objectivity. If you take advanced French classes at the French Institute, there is a good chance that contemporary issues affecting France will be discussed in class.

Re: FBI Says Chinese Operatives Active at Scores of U.S. Universities

#59

Post by PricelessValue »

rdtsc wrote: post #44
Sir_Cmpwn wrote: post #8

Wow, this seems like straight-up racist fearmongering. The Chinese have "infliltrated" our schools by attending and starting culturally oriented studies? What's wrong with setting up classes for studying Mandarin, the #1 most popular language on the planet?

What if these were Russians and the title was "FBI Says Russian Operatives..." would you have said it's straight up racist fear-mongering? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Office_of_Personnel_Management...

What if they were israelis? China, russia, britain and israel run the largest espionage rings in the US. If the FBI called out israel, I bet the media would call it racist.

Re: FBI Says Chinese Operatives Active at Scores of U.S. Universities

#60

Post by rdtsc »

platinumrad wrote: post #49
rdtsc wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What if these were Russians and the title was "FBI Says Russian Operatives..." would you have said it's straight up racist fear-mongering? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Office_of_Personnel_Management...

Not technically "racist" but in my opinion much of the treatment of Russia in the media is highly prejudiced.

It's getting embarrassing at this point. It was a good PR campaign, but it has run its course by now it seems.

https://theintercept.com/2017/01/04/washpost-is-richly-rewar...

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