U.S. Preparing For Chinese Spies During Summit With North Korea’s Kim Jong Un
U.S. officials are reportedly preparing to thwart any attempts by the Chinese to spy on the summit taking place June 12 between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Some of the past tricks that Chinese spies have used include both electronic and human means, according to NBC News.
Some of the ways that U.S. officials are already expecting the Chinese to spy on the meeting include using service staff like restaurants and bars to spy on American customers. Also, officials expect electronic surveillance bugs that could be planted in various places throughout the hotel where the summit will be taking place. Americans will also be on high alert for spying being done on them through their cellphones.
In the past, China has attempted to spy on U.S. officials using advanced techniques. In one instance, a top U.S. official had problems with his hotel key card, which wouldn’t work properly. The official brought one of the cards back to the U.S., where it was discovered that a microphone was secretly placed inside the key card. Similar chips have been used in credit cards, jewelry, and other items that appear harmless.
The idea of China spying on U.S. officials is not new. In fact, whenever U.S. officials visit China, they all assume that they are being closely watched every step of the way. From belongings being looked through in locked hotel rooms, to being taped, officials expect a high level of surveillance.
The National Security Advisor has spurned all Cabinet-level NSC meetings on North Korea and Trump insists on being wholly unprepared and armed only with his attitude at the negotiating table. Everything is fine. https://t.co/9kv46xyRuL
— Joshua Crum (@billyliberty) June 8, 2018
So, it’s not surprising that people are expecting the Chinese to do whatever they can to spy on the summit, since the outcome is likely to affect China one way or another.
Daniel Russel, former assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, detailed the level of espionage.
“There’s an awful lot that the Chinese do to us that we do, or try to do, to them. But as technology improves, the capabilities of the Chinese to collect become increasingly sophisticated. The real story is the incredible acceleration of technology, artificial intelligence, data gathering and monitoring.”
Meanwhile, Trump has stated that he will not prepare for the summit.
“I think I’m very well prepared… I don’t think I have to prepare very much. It’s about attitude… I think I’ve been prepared for this summit for a long time, as has the other side,” according to the Los Angeles Times.
The road to the summit hasn’t been without its faults, as Kim, at one point, said that the U.S. behavior would need to be better in order for the summit to take place. Trump canceled the meeting, only to forge ahead a couple of weeks later and resume the planned meeting.
